Pros
I admire the company's respect for Designers and emphasis on quality. Iconic furniture known worldwide. HQ in Switzerland was organized, communicative and helpful. Insurance at no cost to employees and spouses.
Cons
General lack of understanding of the contract furniture market in New York, including sales, management and leadership. Unclear or unstated expectations and lack of guidance were not only frustrating, they often caused misunderstandings, delayed product and unhappy clients. Promoted under-qualified individuals to management positions, while stifling constructive input from others with substantially more experience. There were a few individuals who went above and beyond their role to help in other areas. After proving themselves and increasing their workload to help the company, they were not offered pay increases or title upgrades. And ultimately, they were laid-off for their hard work. Compensation was less than other manufacturers and design industry leaders; the nearly unnoticeable yearly raises were not based on merit, and bonuses were based on sales (across all departments). So, when sales wasn't doing their jobs, everyone suffered...not a model I would have chosen. My sense of the interview process was that they were initially interested in whether I looked the part. My suspicion was confirmed after I was hired; in fact, once a client was in the showroom and asked if we were actors. It is also worth noting that until Covid, EVERY employee laid off during the current Vitra N/A President's tenure was a person of color! (all were replaced with Caucasian employees.) HR was located in Pennsylvania and was frankly useless. Not to mention they almost never came into NY, except to fire people (which definitely made for tense days when they were in the office). No one I knew felt safe or comfortable going to them with issues.