Pros
- Benefits, kind of (for now; they're being trimmed back annually, and are available to employees entirely at their manager's discretion so they are playing the benefit lottery). - Cafe (food is subsidized and relatively healthy) - Grounds, kind of (nice walking path but not well-maintained and covered in goose feces year-round) - Colleagues (smart, professional, capable people, sadly crippled by policy and mismanagement) - The CEO (he is actually a bit of a visionary with potential, but he made the mistake of keeping the same executive team, who keep him in the dark on many decisions and are preventing his vision from being implemented to its fullest potential.) - One can play ping pong, do tai chi or yoga on-site at no cost. - Generous gym reimbursement and sad on-site exercise facility ):
Cons
If you're considering applying with CAS, be wary of this influx of positive reviews. You'll note that all the reviews say the same thing, often employing the same vernacular. This is because they were requested of long-term managers by their Sr. team. Internal rumors circulating lately throughout CAS have it that real, honest reviews are taken down as the CAS legal team threatens legal action against Glassdoor. This company has cut close to 400 jobs, some eliminated, others replaced with contractors. First IT, then editorial (no contractors there, just eliminate jobs), and now targeting sales, marketing and finance. But none of those 400 were the ones who need to go. Clean house at the top level and things might turn around. Things in IT actually aren't looking so bad. Was it because CAS tore down all the walls, took everyone's offices and brought in a bunch of contractors? No. It's because the old VP of IT resigned and the new VP is the only fresh blood in the house. And he’s good. An actual visionary who clearly knows his stuff. Find more like him for the other divisions and perhaps this dying dinosaur of a company could be saved. (Update! The visionary VP of IT referred to above has now resigned!) It is true that CAS is undergoing a large culture shift. It is false that individual contributor-level staff can't get on board. The culture here is one of bureaucratic political backstabbing, fear mongering, and fostering a toxic, hostile work environment. Those actually fighting for transformative change, usually the less tenured, newer employees, are actually the ones who typically get targeted by the old guard. The old guard, particularly at the senior management level, talks a big game, but with no follow through. In reality, they are entirely governed out of a need for self preservation at any cost. Most of them are old enough and wealthy enough to retire tomorrow, but this job is all they've ever known and they revel in their abuses of power too much. I can only imagine what their home lives are like that they cling on to CAS so desperately. They have been with the company since it had no competitors, which is why their incompetence was allowed/able to run rampant and result in their promotion to high ranking roles. Now, faced with actual external (and internal) competition, they do not know how to adapt and are trying everything thing in their power to keep things the way they are, all while touting the reforms of the new CEO publicly. No, change at CAS is not real, and what little change there is definitely isn't the kind that will turn a company around. If you want to move up, shut your mouth unless it's to say “yes” or “how high?”, follow the status quo, do not think of questioning business decisions that sacrifice the quality of the product line, despite high quality being the very foundation and hallmark of the company. And when those new products fall flat and under-perform, be prepared to take the fall, even though you actually reported an accurate estimation of expected earning potential, only to be told it wasn't bold enough, and to come back with higher numbers. Numerous talented, top performing employees have been shut down and mistreated, not because they weren't capable of meeting expectations, but because their expertise is threatening to those who have been here for decades working their way up to positions they aren’t cut out to handle. These employees inevitably leave and move on to bigger and better opportunities where, no surprise, they thrive. Of course, CAS has such a bad reputation in Columbus, those former employees often have to relocate to catch a break. Then those same employees are dubbed “bad apples” by the very people who wouldn't allow them to succeed as they try but fail to indoctrinate new hires. It is not unusual for a new hire to leave within a few months or less. Other employees have actively had internal opportunities stripped from them so higher ups with high turnover could save face. Engagement is at an all time low but senior management refuses to acknowledge their part in it. Tons of money is spent trying to fix low level employees who aren't the problem to begin with. “Stay the course” and other sailing metaphors are peppered throughout the HR-sponsored reviews of which you should be wary. Well, here is a sailing metaphor for you. Steer clear of this sinking ship, lest ye go down with it.