Vantaggi
Coffee's a lot cooler than you might first think. People matter, and the company cares to treat its employees as more than a temporary investment. (e.g., they train you, they promote communication between employees and supervisors). There's a real effort to improve processes and to grow with the industry. You can work here with virtually no job experience and make 15% above minimum wage for unskilled labor, and up to double minimum wage for semi-skilled labor. A primary way the company secures excellent product is to encourage employee ownership of work performed, work areas, etc.
Svantaggi
It can sometimes take a lot of emotional energy to work for Cascade Coffee. Working on the production side of things is a bit of a popularity contest; if you're not "in" then you're "out". There's too much filtering of information between operations staff and the corporate side of management; it creates a real disconnect for both sides of the business. There's a tendency to overreact to situations; sometimes perspective is lacking. When I worked there, the company was finding it difficult to adjust to the changing demands of the marketplace, and the finger was being pointed at the CFO. There's no question that leaders (all leaders) need to take responsibility for the effects of their decisions, especially as regards company culture. That said, blaming the person at the top without looking further is as ineffective as it is ignorant. Demanding omniscience while withholding support invites shared failure.
