Vantaggi
For many years, EI was a well-renowned, woman-owned public involvement firm. The company worked on major projects that impacted communities across the PNW. Before COVID, the company had relatively generous benefits (vacation time, 401k matching, profit sharing, health insurance). I believe these have all been suspended since the beginning of the pandemic.
Svantaggi
After having worked at EI for several years and recently moving on, I can confidently say I am now watching the demise of the company from afar. About 2 years ago, the company began moving in a new direction with a complete change in leadership and the hiring of a new HR director who has a cult-like following. The changes that have happened since can only be described as asinine, toxic, juvenile, and unprofessional. The culture has become cult-like favoritism where those closest to the leadership and HR director are given blatant special treatment. The company has lost the majority of its valuable employees in the last year, and those that remain are mainly the disciples of the new HR director, praising them like a deity with "magical" powers. Many of these disciples do actual work for less than 15 hours a week but are paid for a 40 hour work week, spending the rest of their time on "wellness." The few dedicated staff that remain are then carrying the project work for the other freeloaders. Raising this issue with leadership would lead to public shaming, which was frequently done in all-staff emails from the HR director, who has all but taken over the company. In the name of diversity and inclusion, the company has created a more exclusive culture, where only those that reside in the HR director's echo chamber are rewarded. Discussion, debate, and discourse are not tolerated, and anyone who dares attempt it will be shamed and blamed, regardless of their viewpoint. Antiracism and equity work can be done in a healthy way without invalidating the experiences, thoughts, and opinions of all staff. Done well, it can create a collaborative space where everyone can feel welcome to engage in the conversation and learn from one another. EI is the antithesis of this. The HR director has created a culture of fear and shame where most staff can't speak for fear of public shaming or being passive aggressively pushed out of the company. From a financial perspective, the company has stopped working with many clients it deems "harmful" and has been fired by other clients; the company is not profitable, and at this rate will likely not be in business as a for-profit company for much longer. To anyone looking for a new job, I advise you to stay as far away as you possibly can. This company will surely implode in the next year, and anyone working there will be collateral damage. There are other companies in the PNW doing similar work with much healthier cultures and financial outlooks.