Pros
-Good opportunities & chances to get promoted from within. Work quality is important, but to get ahead you need to work to make yourself visible - this means networking socially and making sure the right people see the results of the work you do. Mgmt is not going to approach you to help with your career path - you really do have to be your own best advocate. But they do promote from within (I've seen it happen many times), so the opportunity is really there. -Good pay above market rate. -Very interesting work. And this company still has a good rep and a lot of prestige within the local community here in Cbus - great place to have on your resume. -Good work/life balance, opportunities to work from home, PTO, flex time, etc. -Onsite gym at HQ, very low membership fee. Group fitness class offerings including yoga, meditation, etc. -Real opportunities to gain professional certifications sponsored by the company. Lots of chances to learn new things & expand your skillset if you are motivated. -Overall I enjoy the work I do here and am very happy & proud to be part of this org.
Cons
I'm not a finance guy, but I am worried about the company's financial house and future. Benefits package has steadily declined. PPO health plans are going away next year and only the newer high deductible HSA health plans will be available - and Battelle only makes a one-time contribution to your HSA, not a yearly contribution like other employers do. Stipends for personal mobile devices have been lowered. The big mantra the past couple years has been to "do more with less." Pension plans have gone away entirely - only 401K is available. The company is constantly going through RIFs and re-orgs - this past November, they essentially forced a huge amount of senior employees out (voluntary retirements/separations) and those vacant positions aren't being backfilled for the most part, so a huge amount of knowledge has walked out the door. All of these things together have me concerned with the solvency of the company. I hope the folks at the top can keep the ship afloat.....and keep the lights on. The good people who work here deserve it!