Pros
After almost a decade at Granite I've seen many changes. That said, there are many core facets to working at Granite that remain unchanged, and that is often not a bad thing. Some key points: --You will be given as much respect and trust as you earn. I've worked elsewhere and I know from experience that this is not always the case. --Your own effort will translate into financial (and other) rewards. Many reviews might say otherwise, but I have seen enough to know that true top performers are given opportunities to excel and are compensated for their hard work. --You will have access to levels of management that at other companies simply does not exist. For those able to make the most of this opportunity (and those above) it offers the ability to set yourself apart from other employees and achieve greater rewards. --Perhaps most importantly, the company is stable and debt-free. Many in the workforce (especially those seeking their first jobs) do not understand the true value of this. Without debt to answer for or shareholders to answer to, Granite can forge its own path and provide job security that many other companies cannot. --The company is large (almost 1,300 employees), but still growing; this creates opportunities for advancement and skill-building and prevents many top performers from ending up in a stagnant position. Some smaller, but still salient, points: a free onsite gym that is better than those many people pay to belong to; quick access to the MBTA; a top-ten charitable donation volume for all of MA; a very strong benefits package; a large number of organized sports and other activities; and a genuine desire to know and care for the employees. Lastly, and I believe that this is very important, I can say that recently the company has taken on a more realistic long-term outlook as to how to handle products, pricing, and market strategy. This extends to both sales and operations. While this is still a work in progress it is refreshing to see this given serious consideration and to watch actions come out of the relevant discussions. I am confident in the company's direction based on what I've seen. Bottom-line advice to job-seekers: despite what you'll see in some other reviews, this is NOT the sort of place to pop into to pick up job skills that you can then transfer elsewhere. Granite is a company for people looking to build careers through hard work and determination. If you're looking for a first job that's a way-station on your path to something else, you'll find that this is not a great fit. Patience, effort and persistence will get you to the next level; that does not happen overnight.
Cons
There are some things that I believe the company still needs to work on: --Defining long-term career planning for tenured employees; those whose careers have matured sometimes find it difficult to understand their next steps. Not that these employees aren't taken care of, but more clarity would be beneficial. --As stated above, there is a genuine desire to know and care for the company's employees. That said, the company is (in my opinion) still learning about what's important to its diverse and large employee base vs. applying logic equally to everyone. The company hits it on the head many times with new programs and changes, but some do not resonate with all of us. --Some quality of life items take too long to address; for example, heating and cooling in the building, water fountain operation, and cafe costs. These are small, but they are important to the daily lifestyle of the employees. One note on many cons you'll see in other reviews: they are often informed by very specific circumstances and are generally not representative of everyone's experience at Granite. Overt generalizations and hyperbole often come from those for whom Granite was not a great fit and/or those who are not willing to put in the effort to excel. I know that not every company is perfect, and reading people's opinions is important, but think about what you see before you mark it down as fact. What's more believable? Well-versed details from those of us who have made a career at Granite but can still be honest about a few things that could improve, or quickly-typed bursts from those who had a short and perhaps not great experience?