Pros
* Flexi timing, especially at their India offices. Flip-side is that people have been wantonly misusing this privilege in the absence of proper managerial controls (which most of the time is absent in such cases). * Cool facilities & vibrant work environment (ref: USTG's main offshore hub@Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, India). They have very plush offices, cafeterias, premium office locations overlooking the lush greenery & the vast seashore, and more over, an abundance of opportunities for the associates to unwind oneselves from a busy schedule. * USTG actively promotes the Colors initiative that gives an opportunity for the associates to get involved in various activities outside of their work, based on their interests. This gives him/her immense visibility in the organization upto the top management. Participation in Colors help them score during the yearly performance appraisal as well. * They claim to have a flat-hierarchy, with even the top management accessible and approachable to the associates.
Cons
* People centric, rather than process centric. You need to know the right person, at the right place to get things done. Process is more an exception than a rule. This situation breeds petty-politics, nepotism and favoritism that are rampant. As a fresher, this may not be evident to you. But as you scale up the ladder, it starts to bite. * Ineffective communication. Be it going for IPO, company growth, increasing the head-count, own campus (which is nearing completion, at long last) - the Management chooses to cloak the messages which they want to convey to the organization behind an even mix of gaudy language, flashy corporate jargons and half-truths. * Extravagance & indulgence. This is most evident during the much celebrated client-visits, where ostensibly in line with their client-first policy, they spend hundreds of thousands of rupees to "please" the client representatives. This includes a huge floral carpet with real, freshly picked flowers, an elephant to welcome the guests, noisy reception by a local band group and many a times a short elephant safari for the client in the premises. They famously own a limousine which they use for impressing their clients as well. * Values & culture slogan that rings hollow. The most striking example was a recent tragedy at their premises when a young associate fell to his death from the 6th floor to the atrium below. The company which hollers around with "humility, humanity, integrity" slogan apparently did not feel a sting of conscience when one of the client visits went ahead as per schedule with the usual pomp & gaiety on the same day, at the same place where the accident happened. Someone cleaned the blood and the mess well in time for the event to happen. * You may not get the same level of appreciation (or worse, none at all) for excelling at work, as what you got when you, say, participated in an organizational activity like family day.
