Pros
- training for rigging, power distribution, fork lift, scissor lift, etc.. I have enjoyed doing some of those trainings. They have training on every area of AV through Encore university which is good if you are new to AV. They give raises through completing training and hours worked too so that is kind of nice - benefits are decent, I get good coverage with my plan. standard 401k match - good place to start getting some experience in the AV industry if you've got a good manager and team. - in my experience, my hours have been decent (besides when it gets slow... but that's a given in this industry) and I haven't had any issues with getting PTO when I need it.
Cons
- Poor work culture where I'm at, Management is awful. I personally have experienced hostility at my location. It's cutthroat, talk of firing employees for the smallest of mistakes, pit others against one another, not enough focus on the job itself sometimes, incompetent workers, management does not develop and encourage their team very well.. talented/skilled technicians not recognized for their good work, always raising the bar, not much appreciation for efforts so it's every man for himself. I had a coworker who had to file a lawsuit against Encore for ADA violations due to disability. - High turnover, 3 of 9 workers at our property have left in the last 6 months and I will be quitting soon. Most have not stayed for longer than 2-3 years and are disengaged... I enjoy working with other passionate technicians but this property is not it for that haha. Management is pretty miserable here. - pay isn't that good, feels like a dead end unless you get into sales and management but there's a cap... better to just go work for a local company or freelance - limited opportunities for some properties, depending on the property not enough gigs to get the needed experience to progress in the industry. Our property has had pretty decent client intake but others in the region barely get anything.. so they are inexperienced as a result. - budget is low so old beat up gear has not been replaced for years... most of our wired clear comm headsets are completely broken and unusable, broken analog boards, speaker stands, carts...