Some of the best people I've ever been around.
Pros
First, in full disclosure, I’m Greg Harmeyer, CEO and one of the co-founders of TiER1 Performance Solutions. My views of TiER1 are admittedly a little biased. But I’ve worked here pretty much since the beginning so I thought they were also relevant. The positives: The people at TiER1 are some of the best people I’ve ever been around in my life. Hands down how people treat each other and the level of compassion people have for others is the best thing about the company. (A close second is the level of talent they have). The character, personal values, commitment to great work, and compassion for others that exist are both humbling and inspiring. If you walk into a TiER1 office, you will feel the energy, camaraderie and warmth. It is a special environment and the people make it so. It is a growing organization. It has grown about 25% per year and is profitable. It will grow about 25% in 2014 and we project similar growth in 2015. Profitable growth is a “pro” because it provides both a secure environment and opportunities for individual growth. It has been amazing to watch people flourish here; I certainly have grown considerably. TiER1 is low on structure. It is very client-centric and client focused and doesn’t have a lot of bureaucracy. If you prefer a lot of structure and/or direction it may not be the best environment. It has a great deal of transparency (ironically, our main office has “glass doors”….and glass walls as well). Everything – strategies, financials, successes and failures, underperforming projects - is shared openly with everyone. People at TiER1 will do anything to help each other professionally and personally. I have seen countless situations where people have faced personal challenges and the entire organization has rallied around them. It is one of the many reasons I am deeply connected to the people here. TiER1 has two central core values: People and Performance. The company philosophy is that People are at the center of our lives and our work. This is true in the relationships we have with our clients and in the actual work we do. But it is also true internally; the organization consistently puts the well-being of people above everything else. But Performance also matters. The organization has high expectations. People that do well at TiER1 have high expectations of themselves and love being around other high-performers. If you like being challenged and being around others who do, it’s a good environment. If you prefer more predictability and consistency in the work environment, it’s probably difficult. It is, fundamentally, a client-driven consulting organization. That means there are often real deadlines and real demands placed upon people. This is the nature of professional services. While most people’s work weeks are very reasonable, it is a professional environment. You shouldn’t expect a 40 hour work week to be typical and if you do, it’s not the right place for you. On the other side, you have tremendous flexibility to manage your life. (There really is no excuse for you to miss events with your kids…anyone here at TiER1 will help you manage your work so that you don’t have to.) Overall, for me, it's been a great place to work. There are days where it can be challenging. There are always opportunities to improve; there exists a great deal of openness in seeking ways to get better and we're continually getting ideas surfaced. The best evidence that it is, on the whole, a good place to work is the nearly dozen awards as a Best Place to Work in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh (awards given based on annual anonymous all employee surveys). That said, meeting and talking to the people who work at TiER1 is far more compelling. While most reviews on this site are anonymous and for good reason, anonymity keeps you from knowing the context of the individuals. It can make an assessment of the company challenging. If you really want to know something about TiER1 - or any company - I'd suggest you talk to people who work there. If you don't know anyone at TiER1, connect with someone on LinkedIn and I'm sure they will be happy to help. I'm also certain you'll get an honest opinion.
Cons
The cons: Growth can be a con because sometimes it stresses the organization; we do have a unwavering commitment to delivering to our clients. Sometimes in a growing environment that can be demanding. If you are looking for a predictable 40 hour work week, this isn't the right place. It’s a growing company with big dreams. Sometimes the resources to realize those are stretched thin. TiER1 rewards initiative, but expects initiative. If you don’t assert yourself, you might struggle. Developing relationships w high performing mentors and career advisors is very important to help with this. It is a very flat environment. Some people are far better suited in something more structured and hierarchical.
