Pros
- Excellent culture. It can be very stressful, but employees and managers do not carry that stress with them off hours. - Employees are given a lot of decision freedom and responsibility within a framework. - Managers steer from the front, not the back -- they say what direction to move in and help guide the execution, not stand back and point out what should have been done. More emphasis on doing than reporting what was done or what will be done. - Work hard, play hard mentality is shared throughout most of the company. - Passionate coworkers. - Approachable senior management. And senior management seems to put a lot of weight on employee feedback. - Many managers allow flexible hours and understand there are life demands outside of work. The quality and timeliness of your work matters more than the hours you are at your desk. - Open and visible company performance and future goals. - Outdoor industry discounts. - The possibility of a substantial bonus. - Once hired, people rarely choose to leave, which is a positive indicator of the culture and work. - Employees are generally treated as valuable, individual resources, not disposable commodities. Even though I left SRAM just prior to the annual bonus payout, SRAM paid my bonus. They even acknowledged that I was no longer an employee but said I had earned my bonus and was deserving if it. I feel that is a good indicator of how SRAM treats their employees.
Cons
- Base pay is below average, but that is true for most of the bicycle industry. - Health insurance plans are relatively expensive for families. - A bonus is not guaranteed, and if company performance is poor, there will be no bonus, regardless of your personal performance. A little too much emphasis is put on the bonus when hiring and it is paid too inconsistently for the attention it is given. However, layoffs are rare. - There are sometimes substantial inconsistencies in how business is conducted from one location to another. - Managers and employees sometimes willingly choose not to follow a process or direction with no repercussion for doing so. - People in all roles are empowered to make decisions... which can sometimes result in bad decisions. - As the company size grows and employee longevity increases, turf wars are starting to emerge.