Misguided Management, Negative Environment
Pros
Good location in Bellevue, many restaurants and other conveniences within walking distance. Quiet office with good tools and infrastructure, most co-workers are caring and nice people. The owners, despite their management problems, can occasionally be quite generous, warm, and caring. Benefits are better than some small companies with 100% paid high deductible medical for the employee, though no dental is offered and 401k is not available until after the first year. HSA is offered and contributed to by the company directly. FSA is also available.
Cons
Top level management struggles with many of the challenges and difficulties that plague most small businesses. They started the company years ago and were able to grow it to its present level of success with blood, sweat, and tears. It has now grown beyond their ability to manage effectively, and their response to this crisis has worsened some of Netstar's fundamental flaws as an employer. Management shares a fairly backward and fundamentally negative view of employees. Often viewed almost as indentured servants, employees are offered salaries barely commensurate with industry norms coupled with mixed and confusing benefits. Beyond this, they are told to expect to work more (sometimes significantly more) than 40 hours per week since they are salaried vs hourly. Processes exist for very detailed job functions, but the overall goals of the company are unclear and not well understood. Senior management is well known for having significant emotional control issues, resulting in legendary meltdowns of fist pounding and screaming at employees and business partners alike. While often apologetic for these actions after the fact, this kind of behavior just underscores an environment that is permissive of abuse and totally lacking in positive reinforcement. The customer is king at Netstar, but what that means changes on a daily basis. One day going the extra mile gets you a pat on the back. The next day the same action results in backlash from management for spending too much time on customers. There is an extreme focus on cost, especially labor, but this manifests in a penny wise/pound foolish management style which allows hundreds of dollars in labor to be spent to find a $10 mistake. Employees are overworked and overstressed. There is little in the way of positive morale or camaraderie beyond a group frustration at the failures of management. Emotions run high and there is a distinct negative undercurrent that is pervasive, further adding to the stress and unhappiness of most of the employees. Browbeating and abusing business partners is encouraged and lauded. Unprofessional behavior amongst the internal staff is permitted if not outright encouraged. I could not recommend Netstar to anyone but those who have an extremely high level of immunity to a negative environment, unreasonable expectations, and a total lack of clarity on priorities. The company has potential and it has reached a strong level of success, however at this point management has become its own worst enemy and is holding back the company from reaching the goals they have set for it.