Vantaggi
Company's vision and mission is clear and felt by everyone - to make great products that help the energy industry excel and do things differently. It's this direction that bonds everyone who works at Gilmond with a sense of purpose - nobody's doing 'busy work' or anything that feels like it could be waste. The CEO, Shaun Dodimead, is one of the brightest people you'll meet. He leads the company by example, knows the energy industry inside-out, knows tech inside-out and all this while being an accessible member of the Gilmond team. He's supported by a great management team who between them hold frequent town hall meetings where the entire company gathers in the break / kitchen area for an update on recent company developments - essential for nurturing everyone's involvement in the company mission. The break / kitchen area itself is huge. Fully equipped with microwaves, conventional oven, hob, fridges... you name it. Some colleagues here make their meals from scratch just as you would at home. Free fruit, tea, coffee and Diet Coke. There's a proper pool table and an 85" screen that's used not just for town hall meetings, presentations and sprint reviews, but retro arcade games at lunch. If none of those are your thing you can relax with your lunch on the sofas or eat out at the many restaurants and shops within a few minutes walk. Career prospects - excellent. Other companies often say they invest in their people yet despite best intentions, for one reason or other staff become disenfranchised at those companies. Not so here as people cross train from, say, support roles to development, testing. The training budget is very good and can be (and is!) used for attending courses and conferences. If you've got talent and motivation opportunities are open. Facilities in the local area are great. Commuting by train's easy as the office is just five minutes walk away from Bournemouth station. Parking facilities nearby are reasonable though on-site parking is extremely limited due to the Ocean 80 building being shared with several other companies. Beaches are about 20 minutes walk away. There's a choice of two gyms nearby - one at the ground floor and the other right opposite the train station. Summing up - Gilmond's genuinely one of the greatest places I've had the fortune to be employed by. Investing in their people, great office environment, everyone knowing their work has value, fascinating industry, great location.
Svantaggi
If you want to just drift through your career, this is not the place for you. Limited on-site parking.