Pros
The Washington Companies (TWC), as it has been stated in previous reviews, was a great place to work back in the day. Employees were treated well, given profit-sharing checks, and received a routine paycheck. Well, receiving a paycheck is one of the only perks that remain at the Washington Companies. With that being said, there are two other benefits of working at TWC that I can think of: 1) The work can be challenging and does often provide you with the ability to play with new technologies. 2) ..... ..... ..... You get snacks or a company hotdog from time to time .... ..... ;)
Cons
I won't divulge into the downsides of the company too much, because let's face it, I don't have all day. As you can see from other reviews this company can be extremely toxic, depending on who you are and who you work for. There has been extremely high turnover over the last 18 months. Accounting and Finance cannot keep accountants and their tenured employees are bailing. IT has seen its fair share of turnover as well and will continue to experience the exit if issues are not corrected or certain individuals are relieved of their duties. Top Ten reasons why you shouldn’t work at TWC: 1) You get paid for showing up 8-5 rather than producing results. So show up, do enough to get you by, and clock out. There’s no benefit of taking on additional work or responsibilities. 2) 2%, maybe 3% COLA raises is all that you can expect unless you threaten to quit. Top producers will only receive a 3, maybe 4% raise if they’re lucky. 3) There was a review that stated: "your opinions are heard" and "feedback is welcome" .... they lie, sort of. Your opinions are heard but the second you speak up or challenge something, you're labeled a trouble-maker and will be excluded from all future projects, plans, raises, etc. 4) The organization desperately lacks vision, transparency, and trust. 5) There is no work-life balance. You're expected to be in the office 8-5 with little flexibility. You're also expected to be on call, work nights and weekends and respond to messages after hours. 6) Individuals who are ill-equipped to be managers often get promoted, causing the morale and productivity of the teams to suffer. 7) Every year the IT budget is cut or consistent with the previous year; however, the businesses continue to run on technology. This places a huge burden on the teams. Most teams are understaffed and overworked, but at least one individual looks good because his budget didn't increase. 8) No real room for professional or financial growth within the company. 9) If you enjoy high school drama, this is the place for you! 10) Favoritism is a major part of the culture here. For instance, if you hang a poster or order food for the team you will receive more praise than an individual who enabled remote work for a highly specialized department. If you are considering working here, please take these reviews seriously. Trust the 1-2 star reviews as those are coming from individuals who work in the trenches. The 4-5 star reviews are coming from those individuals who, as one review stated, are "part of the club." In the eyes of TWC, you will always be a number. To them, "you are disposable and can easily be replaced; and they will have hundreds of qualified applicants banging on their door." But with the departures of irreplaceable talent we're experiencing and the demotion of solid leaders, the company will soon learn that top talent is hard to find and you will struggle to replace the institutional knowledge that has walked out the door.