Pros
Beautiful office, free coffee, casual Fridays
Cons
A lot of us are especially frustrated with McREL right now. We are left picking up the work of employees who have been laid off, working long hours and over the weekends, yet there is no job security or compensation in it for us. Each year we are asked to create "stretch goals" to stretch ourselves thinner for the benefit of the company, but there is no motivation because again, we are not compensated for the additional work that we're forced to create for ourselves. Personal development is basically a side note and not taken seriously. For our stretch goals, however, we are given grades and compared to one another. They keep saying the company has fallen on hard times and laying people off. Meanwhile, they have two boards with something like 40 members flying regularly to meetings in places like Honolulu, spending thousands each on airfare and resorts. The cost of these meetings could pay multiple annual salaries. Have they not heard of teleconferencing, and why on earth would you need that many members on these boards? In a financial lull, they will lay off employees but will continue to have these meetings. The company is hemorrhaging money, from real estate to pointless external surveys to relocating new hires (and then shortly letting them go), and somehow it's the employees' fault for not bringing in enough money. If you're one of the elite men or rare woman allowed in the top circle, you'll benefit from this. Otherwise, you're nothing.