Pros
-Family-like environment. The people you work with are more friends than just co-workers. -Enjoyable workplace. For the most part, coworkers are enjoyable to work with. -Great company to work for right out of college. They offer opportunities for new grads through their Engineering Development Program -When the company is doing well, they are willing to invest in their employees through training and seminars. -Global company, and many opportunities for lateral movement (see cons). -Company entrusts employees. This helps minimize micromanaging. -Flexible work life. Hours aren't just 7-4, 8-5, etc every day. If you need to flex that time a little, management is usually understanding provided you have a valid reason. -Vacation time is alright. -Upper management very tangible. It's not abnormal to work with VPs and Directors on a regular basis (daily even). -President of each SPX company usually accessible and very personable. -Cross functional teams are strongly encouraged. Employees often have great ideas for improvement.
Cons
-Limited opportunity for advancement. Management positions are filled externally instead of promoting from within. Most movements are lateral. -Lack of capital investments. Very difficult and lengthy process to have capital investments approved, despite obvious ROI. -Main focus (financially) limited to the fiscal year. Numbers for each quarter dictate everything (investments, employment, etc), but there is no 3-5-10 year plan. -During restructuring, job duties double or triple. When an employee retires or resigns, job duties may double or triple, with no increase in pay or benefits. -Vacant positions take very long to replace. Company always tries to do more with less. -Company lacks discipline to recognize when an employee should be terminated. For the most part, the only time terminations happen is during a restructuring. Other terminations do happen, but it is rare. -HR is not popular in the company (much like any other company). -Benefits/pay are not comparable to other companies of same size. -Goals, directives, management not transparent enough. -Management does not always listen to their direct reports. Often, great ideas are brought to the table but are not considered due to financial constraints. The company is not willing to spend a sizable amount of money on a great idea.
