Pros
Varolii does pay somewhat above average and has a very progressive PTO policy. I've never been denied PTO any time I've ever requested it. Everyone at Varolii pretty much has a significant degree of job security. This has both good and bad consequences which I explore somewhat below. In the time I’ve been associated with the company, I've only been aware of two instances where people have been let go -- a major layoff that took place the beginning of 2009 and an individual who appeared to be involved in some less than above board dealings with vendors. The bulk of the employees at Varolii are friendly people (regardless of some of the issues described below), and there are several company sponsored events each year where employees have the opportunity to socialize with each other.
Cons
Incompetence is ignored and much of the time rewarded. Dysfunction is rampant and executive management is out of touch. Great effort is made to communicate corporate values and culture, but when it comes time to act, those grand ideals and values are quickly abandoned. Varolii is an organization where you cannot avoid individuals who are far more interested in protecting their jobs than actually working in the best interest of the company. Executive management acknowledges this in several cases, but takes no action to resolve the issues. They seem to miss the point that among the rank and file, this is a cancerous situation. While there are many very dedicated and talented individuals employed at Varolii, they are forced to work alongside those mentioned above who passive-aggressively resist progress. The talented employees see this, note the ways executive management in many cases support this behavior and come to the conclusion that it is not a healthy environment. Varolii also suffers from a serious case of ‘Tribal Knowledge’. Systems have organically grown over the years with next to no documentation. While great efforts are being made to resolve this, the various organizations are very silo-ed so as products pass from one group to another (lacking any form of documentation) great bickering takes place over who should be responsible for the ongoing support and maintenance. At Varolii there is no such thing as measured response, everything is a knee-jerk reaction. This extends across all departments and is the primary SOP for anyone there with a title beginning with a VP or above. This situation would be more acceptable were there any rhyme, reason or logic to the swings, but instead, emotion caries the day. Often it feels as if you’re dealing with an irrational 2 yr old child. Logic and reason can be lost on the leadership as they meet in their ivory towers and ponder on the next great thing. Rome is burning, and Nero is at an offsite. The brain drain has only just begun at Varolii. As the best and the brightest leave, there will be more openings. Look for Varolii to be hiring soon at a street corner near you.
