When it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Pros
The developers and the IT team at this company are fantastic people. The IT team will work tirelessly to ensure your issues are workedl out. The monthly massages are nice, but there is a lot of bureaucracy surrounding them, so it makes them difficult to enjoy. Employees at the company, for the most part, are amicable, friendly, and do want a more cohesive environment. Some of them deserve medals for what they find their ways through. The company does have some excellent tried and tested (and re-tested) frameworks, which helps to ensure the success of a project (doesn't guarantee it, but the frameworks help). The graphic design department is very talented and will work tirelessly to ensure clients are happy. They have an amazing security product, which I would say is the best product they offer.
Cons
The pay is laughable, as are the commissions for Account Managers. I have honestly never seen such low pay in this industry. There is NO group benefits plan. If you ask them if they offer benefits they will say, of course. What they mean is that they will charge you an exorbitant amount to administer your private health care only policy with Blue Cross. They even state that they discourage employees from enrolling in the health care package (hmm… does that mean it needs to be changed?). The company is fast growth, but the growth has among the worst management I've ever seen. In fact, there really is no management. There are a few who are supposed to be in management positions, but are in need of assistance, policies, and procedures, or they (and their departments) are going to fail. Pleasant Solutions hasn't figured out how to transition from development shop to corporate organization. The employees are trapped in the midst of this transition. Nobody looks happy. Talk is discouraged, or you are told to close your door (or somebody else will close it for you). It is honestly like watching a creepy zombie movie. You may have 30 - 40 years of experience, and some excellent advice. Save your breath. At best, your comments will go unnoticed. At worst, they will get you terminated. There is absolutely no methodology to development at this organization. They say they develop in Agile, but the development is not at all Agile development. It's kind of like a hack between Agile and what the owners (both of whom are talented in IT, I will not detract from that) envision as being a proper methodology. There are limited certifications within the organization. Some of the "Business Analysts" don't even know what IIBA is. Incidentally, the business analyst becomes the project manager once the analysis is done - that is a HUGE conflict of interest, as the same person who wrote the requirements is the person ensuring the requirements are fulfilled. What if there was a gap in the requirements? And, the friendly business analysts do not have PMI (or any similar) training or accreditation. There is absolutely no "team" environment. It's each shark for itself. Activities are held on weekends, thereby ensuring low turnout. Commissions are not paid until 60 days after a client pays. Complete gridlock in analysis and quoting. This annoys clients, and causes them to go elsewhere, or they get the shock of their lives when they see the quote. Even when the client has been promised a quote by a certain day, it doesn't happen. This is frustrating, as the quoting is comprised of owners. It's impossible to get any supervisory intervention! Some of the hires are not competent - particularly in the BA/PM department. One employee pondered how he or she fooled them into hiring him or her. Another just finished an accounting degree and has no experience. If I have a 500k project on the line, I want a certified BA and PM. They have a great advert and collect a great deal of applications. Some of the statements are true, some are partly true. DO NOT expect massages, Red Bull, a comfy nap room, and benefits to be abundant. There is a nap room, which is great, but it's hyped up and is really just a place to take a quick nap if you're tired. The kitchen is stocked on the first Tuesday of the month, but once supplies run out, everybody is out of luck until the next month. Employees are given four sick days per year - no more, no less. Heaven forbid you need surgery, are in a collision, or are hospitalized for some reason. No room for growth.
