Pros
As another reviewer noted I can only speak to my personal experience here at Telmate, but I must say first and foremost that it’s been extremely rewarding both personally and professionally.
I know in the past there have been shady management requests for good reviews, but I’d like to state up front that I was not forced, coerced, encouraged or even asked to write a review. I’m not in management and I was never part of the hated in-crowd from past reviews. Though I was rarely personally affected, I do not deny that Telmate was previously plagued by many of the negative issues mentioned in other reviews. However, Telmate has been in *major* transition over the last 12 months and I’ve seen so many improvements that I couldn’t have even hoped for 2 years ago. The engineering department especially has done a 180 thanks largely to a major overhaul in leadership.
When I started I was fortunate enough to be placed on a tight-knit, well-run team with an awesome manager and I think that made all the difference in my experience here in the early days. Now I would be happy to work on any engineering team - Telmate has a great bunch of smart, passionate and fun individuals. Not all our tech is sexy, but it is extremely diverse and offers many challenges and opportunities for learning, growth, and ownership.
I’ve also found Telmate to be extremely family friendly. Some people work earlier or later hours to fit their family schedule. No one bats an eye if you need to pick up a sick kid from daycare or attend your child’s band recital. I have never been asked or expected to work weekends or late hours, or to sacrifice in any way my personal or family life.
The worst I can say right now is that the current engineering management/leads are a little green and still working on how to become the perfectly-oiled machine that we’re all aiming for. The company recognizes this issue and is actively supporting these changes and the individuals working toward them.
I have worked at Telmate for almost three years and I am still excited about my projects, my colleagues, and my career here. I greatly value the friendships and working partnerships I’ve formed at Telmate and I hope they will continue well into the future!
* Talented and passionate individuals
* Good camaraderie
* Family friendly and flexible
* 401K matching
* Office location
* Free food and drinks (and sometimes booze)
Cons
* Benefits are getting better but they're nothing to write home about
* While newer management ramps up on how to mentor and coach you'll need to be more active in your own career development (though you should be active in that anyway...)