Pros
- It's an incredibly positive workplace. We have a very supportive group & atmosphere. It feels more like a family than a group of work colleagues. - The team I'm on prioritizes clear communication, and works towards it as a goal - BSI puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to taking care of their employees. We have excellent perks--flexible work schedules, endless soda, breakfast foods, & snacks, & a week of holiday activities with really nice employee holiday gifts (I got a 50-inch TV one year). - Excellent health coverage; as someone who has a long-term illness that is managed by pricey medications, our health plan saves me thousands of dollars per year. - Awesome culture club activities. "Fun" is an unofficial company value, and it shines through in everything about the company. A great example: we've seen the last two Star Wars movies at private screenings on the Friday they open (with the cost totally covered by the company). - It's an incredibly ethical company. I've never been placed in a position here that conflicts with my personal code of ethics. At other companies, I've been encouraged to stretch the truth, or to pressure customers to buy things they don't need. We are expected to do our very best, and to under-promise and over-deliver. It's refreshing. - We have something called the BOOM campaign. It's an opportunity to have management fund a "bucket list" item for a lucky BSI team member. They basically want to help us check things off our bucket list. We do a few of these per year; this year, one of our team members is going to chocolate/culinary school in Europe to become a chocolatier. Last year, a team member went to Ireland to find his adopted father's birth family. It's amazing. - BSI focuses on whole person. We emphasize work/life balance, with a work-hard-play-hard atmosphere. - They care that each person is fulfilled and happy in their role. - Upper management is very transparent with the goals of the company, and share their vision with every member of the team in our monthly meetings. It shows trust in each and every member of the BSI team. - I really love what I do in my role. I'm passionate about it, and I get a lot of satisfaction & feel rewarded by the work itself.
Cons
Most of the cons on this list can be attributed to growing pains. We started out pretty small, and have grown exponentially in the last 5 years. - Sometimes, I'm not sure who "owns" what, and there aren't clear boundaries between teams. Sometimes I don't know who my boss is and who to listen to when I get conflicting directions from different members of management or from other teams. - There have been a number of HR issues in the years I've been here, with no clear pathway to address serious issues. Everyday sexism is always an issue in tech, and it's definitely one here. We did win an award as being one of the best workplaces for women. However, the questions on that survey mostly regarded how well the company abides by the law in regards to equal pay, growth opportunities, etc. While that still puts us ahead of most tech companies, we have a long way to go if we want to be as competitive as larger companies in this area. Having a clear HR process would help that a lot. The non-HR process issue has been raised with at least one member of top management by multiple people on multiple occasions, but there hasn't been any action taken to put one in place. It's disappointing that they don't consider it a priority. I think this issue arises from BSI being a really fun-focused, casual work environment. Unfortunately, some people take that as permission to make jokes and share derisive opinions about minority, LGBT, or other disenfranchised groups. (Two people dressed up as a before-and-after transgender celebrity for Halloween, and I've heard disparaging remarks about LGBT people, "women in the workplace," and racial minority groups). It happens on the middle-management & team member level, and while it's definitely not endorsed by the top management, it's not prevented or addressed, either. Expecting everyone to be professional and inclusive isn't enough, since everyone's idea about what is professional and inclusive varies.