WARNING - BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY!!!
Pros
The Pros are 1. Many of the people who have come and gone onto new companies during my time here have been smart, fun, educated, and are decent human beings. I have made some lifelong friends from people who used to work here. 2. They now have summer Fridays where you can leave at 2pm. They are not strictly monitored and a lot of people are out the door by 1pm. 3. They have a very casual dress policy and you can wear anything you want. It is non-corporate.
Cons
Let me start by saying that this is not sour grapes, nor am I bitter. This is a very accurate portrayal of this company. I have worked at several and many companies over my many years in the industry. Out of all of those companies, I can honestly say this is the absolute worst company I have ever worked for. (1) TURNOVER – The turnover here is unlike anything I have ever seen. Every year 50 to 100 people are laid off each October/November. Another 100 or so resign every year throughout the year. There is no economies of scale nor is there any succession planning. All of the information goes out the door with each person who resigns or is terminated each year. In other words, this company is like a homeless dog chasing its tail. It is full of the blind leading the blind. I have a lot of friends / colleagues at this company and can honestly say – at least 99% of the current employees are looking to resign and move on. The good ones leave and get other positions. The only ones left are the ones who try to find a new position but can't. Hence, all that is left is the has beens who were once on their way up in their respective fields and have since gotten off track and swallowed up by this black hole or very junior people who don't know what they are doing. There is no stability here. If you haven't been laid off at year end, you will be. The company is completely decreasing in size from 700 to 600 and so on to the 250 measly people they are left with today. (2) DISORGANIZATION – there are no policies in place. This is the wild west. Things change here by the minute. Projects and direction is decided upon one minute and then he next, people are on to something else. It is a complete waste of time. (3) CAREER PATH – there is none. You are not hired to be put on a career path. You are hired for the short term to do a job. Management knows that everyone hates it here and is looking to leave so they do nothing to make it a better work place. They want you to do the job you are hired for and is there is no where to "move up" in the company. They don't want to be mentors. They don't want to keep you and have you move up and learn new things. They want you to do your job and invest no time in developing you as they know you will be looking to leave (4) MONEY / COMPENSATION – LOL. This is a joke. The raises are none. Last year the raise was 1.5%, the year before 3%. Everyone is expecting a 0 raise this year. There are no bonuses. Whatever you are paid upon being hired, if you are still at the company in 2 years, 5years, 10 years, this will be your same salary. (5) WORK LIFE BALANCE – there is none. Due to their founder and the archaic views of upper management, they are stuck in the dark ages. They have a very strict no work at home policy. You must be in the office 5 days a week even though 99.9% of other companies out there understand that since the 1990s with the invention of cell phones, laptops, text, email etc, everyone is accessible 24/7 regardless of whether they are sitting at their desk or not. Remember all those blizzards of 2013 when every office in NYC closed due to hazardous conditions, not this one. They refuse to close for any life events and even made people come to work after Hurricane Sandy when there was no power in the building. (6) THE FUTURE - They just laid off 150 people and sold certain divisions to a competing Publishing company. The end is near. This company will definitely be closed within a year. Its management is from a different generation and they have failed to enter the digital age. There are no MACS, Laptops or iPhones. They use antiquated software, computers and business models. There is no vision for the future. They have tried to turn it around throughout all of the years I have been here to no avail. They have had CEO after CEO and nothing seems to work. The new CEO has no interest in staying but is there only to increase stock value and then get out. I truly wish everyone here good luck but this company will be closed within the year. The 1% of people that are not looking for a new opportunity should be.
