Pros
- Flat organizational structure. Managers maintain technical chops.
- Limited meetings and bureaucracy (though this depends on the position) enable engineers to get real work done during the day!
- Good tools to help engineers get their jobs done
- Competitive pay, excellent stock purchase program, good health benefits, generous bonding leave policy, reasonable vacation policy
- Flexible policy regarding working from home
For the most part, my experience has been that management and IT have provided the tools for engineers to be productive, and then try to "get out of the way". There's more trust and less micromanagement and bureaucracy compared to other organizations I've worked in. I'd estimate that I spend 90% of my time on real technical work, compared to perhaps 30% at my prior employer, despite having the same position (design engineer).
Cons
- 401k match is pretty low
- The hours can be long, though this is up to the individual. Management is very supportive in terms of balancing project priorities with work/life balance, and will shift people around to help out when it's needed.
