Pros
D&H is a family-owned business. The current CEO is not actually running the business but is the two co-president brothers that make the day-to-day executive decisions. Both brothers worked their way up through the ranks and were not just given positions of leadership. Additionally, they are both Wharton Business school graduates. To the average employee they might appear a bit goofy, but I do believe that they care about their employees. Unfortunately, they are now surrounded by people, brought in from competitors, that do not share in those values. They have done very well for themselves, eventually becoming minority owners with a local AA baseball team (Harrisburg Senators) and a British football club (Dagenham & Redbridge FC).
Cons
HR is the strong arm of the company. They are not there to protect the employees but are to protect against the large number of issues that arise from the toxic culture. About 7 years ago an executive was let go, due to multiple instances of alleged sexual misconduct. Other incidents of sexual harassment towards female co-owners were common, but most kept it secret out of fear of their positions and reputation. For a tech company, I am shocked at the lack of diversity. Despite being in a very diverse area of the state, you will find almost no minorities in the corporate office, and none in senior leadership. Reviews are a joke. Your yearly raise in May is determined before you ever sit down with your manager. There is little to no input you can provide that can change that outcome. Additionally, managers have a phrase, “I don’t believe in giving anyone a 5/5 in a category, because you can always improve.” That would be okay, except that the % of increase you get is determined by your overall score. So they are in essence limiting your merit increase out of the gate. The employees own 36% of the company. You become fully vested after 6 fiscal years. The phrase, “It Pays to Stay” was once used regularly, but only for those that have been with the company since the creation of the ESOP in 1999. At that time, there were only about 300 employees, which meant the yearly profits went to a much smaller group of people. Today, there are over 1500 and much less money going into the ESOP, despite the significant increase in revenue. There is also a shroud of mystery around the ESOP. How much is a share worth? Don’t ask. How many shares do I have? Don’t Ask. The valuation of your personal ESOP is given to you every October and is based on your compensation and position. A savvy investor might be better served by seeing that put into their paycheck. A positive is that if you are bad with investments, it’s money you don’t have to do anything for. Unfortunately, there is this strange habit of co-owners being let go around the 15-year mark…how odd. Health Insurance currently through Capital Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The company offers Vision and Dental as well. Vision insurance is super cheap, but I knew of a lot of people who used their spouse’s insurance due to lower deductibles and rates. The 401k is not great. They match .25% of every 1%, up to 6%. Yes, that is as confusing as it sounds, and is just as bad. Pay is below industry averages in most areas. This is because they love talking about the ESOP, but you will have to decide if it is worth making less now, for a larger possible retirement later. Health Insurance currently through Capital Blue Cross/Blue Shield.This is because they love talking about the ESOP, but you will have to decide if it is worth making less now, for a larger possible retirement. The vendor experience is not great either. If you are Microsoft, Cisco, HP, Lenovo, Acer, etc, then things are great. If not, expect slow pay, consignment-based inventory (despite having terms), and lots of return requests (again, despite contractual obligations). Vendors are regularly presented with ala cart marketing options to increase exposure to the sales team, tradeshows, and sales contests. In the past, vendors had been onboarded, pressured for marketing spends, and then terminated within a year before any real chance was given. It was said that this was being worked on, to prevent these issues from continuously happening, and I sure hope it was. It is an absolute nightmare for marketing and procurement. If you are looking for sales experience in the tech industry, that you can carry on to another company, D&H is a great option. Take the experience you are provided with and get out for a higher paying job.
