Vantaggi
They claim to be solutions-driven. This is a great thing to be! If they followed through with that concept with their employees as much as they attempted to do for their customers, they would not suffer from such terrible turnaround -- strangely enough, always within the 90-day probationary period.
There is little pressure to stay past 5, although if you have to, you are likely salaried and will not get compensated for that time. I have heard of holiday bonuses and a week off between Christmas and New Years (on your own dime/with your own saved PTO) but didn't survive that long. It sounds like it would have been nice though.
They know how to effectively make sales, however, those in charge of some other departments that are meant to support sales know very little about their own departments' best-practices and roles in terms of supporting the big money-makers.
This company is innovative and knows how to provide solutions to many problems, just not their own.
Truthfully, i LOVED my job there. I still love my job there. I will always love the job I did there. I loved what I did up until the second they decided I was "not a good fit for the company." I loved seeing the effect my work had on the "big picture" which is very important to them. I loved being a part of it all and feeling like a piece of a really beautiful puzzle.
And lastly, the CEO and second-in-command were amazing. They hustled in a way I have never seen before and deserve every ounce of credit for the success the company has ever had. I always was and am still impressed and inspired by that and will carry it with me.
Svantaggi
-Absolutely no corporate hierarchy, defined roles, or product training (which everyone desperately needs).
-Many one-man jobs that should be done by multiple.
- Sales was often searching for assistance to make immediate sales, but that assistance was unavailable because their support team was constantly in meetings that would often go way beyond schedule, shift around, and lead to other "regroups" or otherwise useless conversations that led to little change.
-The atmosphere was generally a chaotic war-zone spent doing damage control that was their own doing, though they rarely admitted it.
As with most companies, they speak a lot to "open-door" policies and to the departments working towards a common goal (supporting sales), but these don't apply when you have something negative to say/criticism. They have a plaque plastered all over their premises implying that "fit + trust = success at GEI Works" and then lists what that means to them. It's even in their bathrooms. In no way do they practice what they say they will. It is all smoke-and-mirrors. If upper management does not like your personality, they'll find a way to get rid of you. You have to be a good "fit" with the right people, or else it doesn't matter.
If they, under whatever circumstances, come to learn that you are not pleased with the way things are happening in your department/assignment/what have you, they will let you go. No negotiation, no trying to make it better, no three-strikes situation, no talking it out, none of the "solutions-based" practice applies to their own employees. You will be let go with no explanation, and followed outside to your car like you've committed a crime. Within 4 weeks they did this to 4 people. Two in one day, in fact.
Advice to anyone looking here for some insight before accepting an offer: Don't utter a word of displeasure once you're hired. If you're the kind of person who will smile and nod, agree with management despite their clearly going against best practices for your department, and keep absolutely no documentation of your displeasure in any way, shape, or form, you will thrive here.
If you're strong-willed, confident, the type to ask questions, push conversations to the limit as needed, and the type to be open and express various levels of frustration, don't waste your time here because you will be another hire-and-fire. You will be ignored until your breaking point and then you'll be let go with no good regards. As with most companies right now, they understand that employees are as disposable as ever, and they certainly seem to act that way.
Advice for someone recently fired from this place: Don't worry about it. Don't feel disposable (even though that's how they made you feel), don't feel like one bad mark has ruined your career. Consider a bullet dodged and move on.
My first instinct was to give 4 stars, but why? Because there is heart at this company. They strive to provide great solutions with great products to great customers, their benefits (if you get them) are good. Just...good luck making it to that point. Keep a smile on, your head down, and your mouth shut and you just might make it past the probationary period.
