As a new member of this dysfunctional “family” you will go through a gauntlet of five or more reviews in the first year. If your performance is not acceptable for any reason at this time or any time in the future, you will be kicked out of the “family” without warning. A revolving door is a good description of the recruiting process with frequent terminations and new hires. People that have been here a while are used as examples of how much everyone likes to work here, but the truth is that employee retention is a big problem.
Due to constant personnel changes, many people are new in their positions, and there are many open positions. Unpaid overtime for salary employees is the norm to meet the heavy work load, arbitrary deadlines, unrealistic goals, and constantly changing priorities. A lot of the cons are driven by the owner who insists on making or approving every decision. As a classic Theory X leader he regularly motivates people in his special loud and threatening way. This chaotic environment and fear culture results in high stress, low morale, burn-out, turnover, and numerous quality issues for customers.
If you are looking at working here do not be fooled by all the “family” references. Your “family” membership is contingent at all times. Benefits start after 3 months on the 1st of the following month. That can be up to 4 months depending on your start date. Consider the cost of Cobra for your previous health insurance when negotiating a starting bonus. There is NO severance pay if you are let go unless you can negotiate that in your offer. It is very difficult to catch up if you fall behind, like when you take a vacation or get sick. For doing quality work you will be rewarded with an endlessly growing amount of even more work until the quality of your work/life suffers. On the other hand, you will never be bored!