Pros
- Some really great coworkers. These are the people that will keep you and the organization together. People I’m forever grateful to have known, and a few I've made lifetime friendships with. - A great aviation community outside the building - You’ll support the best aviation event in the world - Experiences you won’t get anywhere else - Employee flying club
Cons
- The good reviews are planted. If you love aviation do not work here – they will completely destroy that passion. Don't let the "family friendly" and nonprofit facade fool you. The ‘family’ culture hasn’t been there since the founder was involved. - Those with innovative ideas, who challenge things to make a better organization, or who are willing to stand up against unethical or poor business decisions need not apply because you will be fired or pushed out the door. If you're not part of the good ol' boys club and don’t just stay in your lane, you'll be fired or pushed out the door. If you are a high performer and good at what you do, you will either be pushed out the door because you'll threaten authority or you will leave once you realize what is going really going on. - Unethical HR practices that put hard working, good people's jobs and livelihoods in jeopardy. They do not adhere to confidentially at all so if you approach them with a private issue, they will tell your leader immediately. There is no assistance or protection for the employee. I know many people who have sought their help and advice, and have given serious complaints with complete dismissal. They don’t believe employees, and they partake in the bullying and toxicity alongside senior leaders. - No recognition: you will not receive a raise based on performance, leadership skills, or accomplishments. EAA brings in an incredible amount of money so don't let the nonprofit facade fool you. That will always be their excuse that they can't pay you what you're worth. You are not empowered and you really need to keep to yourself and not try to drive any change if you want to survive there. They will only focus on and find negativity in what you do, and not what you do well. - No vertical advancement: they will do one of two things. 1. They will hire outside. This allows them to continue to mask the internal issues by bringing in new people and exiting experienced, tenured people who challenge things. 2. They will give you a run around to make you believe you are working on an advancement plan but will never actually carry through. You will take on the work of the advancement, but not be given the title, recognition, or pay for it. - Hostile work environment. When I say hostile, that is not an exaggeration. Some senior leaders and HR use bullying, actual screaming, threats, demands, verbal abuse, interrogation, lies, and manipulation on employees regularly. The worst is that the CEO is closest to those leaders that do it, knows it goes on, and supports it. HR will NOT help mitigate or address issues, they support and participate in this behavior. I have witnessed them gossiping about employees, working together to find ways to fire good people, and creating divide. There are employees who get targeted and once that happens, you have no chance of survival there. They don’t like people who stand up for what’s right, who challenge the norm or them, who try to pave new paths (which often just confuses them), or who don’t fit their mold. - Senior leadership with no experience in the areas they are leading. They don’t care about the mission, members, or the employees. The middle management and the few high performers do all they can for the members, to keep moving the organization forward, and to keep EAA relevant in the community, despite a leadership that does not value grassroots aviation, the member’s voice, the younger generations, or meeting aviation where it is today. They use middle management and other employees as the escape goat for their ineptitude. - If you are not part of the small inner circle your opinion is not welcomed, valued, or respected. You will be treated like a child with a simple mind. As I’ve said, I have watched employees be yelled and sworn at, threatened, and bullied. I have witnessed gaslighting at dangerous levels if you are targeted. I've witnessed them intentionally run off hard working and dedicated staff. If they didn't have anything to actually write them up for, then they made it up. - No mentoring, leadership guidance, or training. EAA’s solution is to fire you if there is any small issue. Or many times no actual issue. They will not help you, give you options, or work with you on improvement plans. Senior leaders are not capable of mentoring or growing their people because they are grossly inexperienced and don’t have any traits of a true leader. - The CEO: He is out of touch with the business he is leading, unable to bring teams together to move a business forward, and doesn't have a strategy and vision. I have witnessed the CEO gossip about employees of his organization many times, he does not care about them. And, he simply stopped doing the engagement survey because morale has gotten so low, so this way he doesn’t have to report on it. He just keeps restructuring to mask issues and supports and aligns with leaders who interrogates, creates destruction, spends most of the day gossiping and scheming, uses scare tactics, fires people without cause, and instills great fear in employees on a daily basis.