Pros
Intro: I had worked as a contractor and had my own business for years but saw inside many firms culture. I observed backstabbing, politics, kowtowing, browsing, and incapable middle micro-management that take the credit and blame the staff which do the work to run the business when it goes wrong. I was happy as a freelancer, but Envista approached me and all that changed. I had all the feeling of freedom of being freelance but the security and support of other professionals in the same field as me. >There is a low turnover of staff, and an equals culture where employees are valued, which leads to better quality deliverables. This was explained to me during induction, but at the time, I was trying not to roll my eyes. Too often, places try and make you feel warm and fuzzy, and the reality is different when employed. >Consummate professionals surround me, the MD's are approachable and not just on a golf course in Seychelles, the team leader helpful and there is little micromanagement. >The salary, benefits, IT infrastructure and everything are spot on. You will be expected to work internationally when a claim or job comes in or marketing event, but they allow from home when you are doing admin or other non-sensitive work. They are quite flexible with time, so you don't need to tell someone you are going on a rest break like at some firms where the management staff are on some kind of megalomaniac trip. >The most significant thing is that they seem to have recruited staff that are world-class, and there aren't any individuals that are in high positions that know nothing in the field that reached the position by cronyism.
Cons
> Quite a lot of internal meetings via Skype of varying degrees of usefulness. Sometimes I am on a meeting and lose the will to live. This is the same at any corporate though. > It is quite noisy sometime in the office because of the commerardary. This was solved by using a 20GBP set of noise-cancelling earphones while working on projects, failing that an elastic band projectile works wonders. > Very Apple Pie American, so I am getting used to the culture difference. I am considering growing a mullet, buying an SUV and listening to Bruce Springsteen. I sometimes start doubting the usefulness of the Britsh Royal family so have to reanglisise when I get home by drinking tea, putting on a red coat and moaning about everything. As a result dates on forms are in American format as are laptop keyboards so the " and @ keep on getting mixed up. These are minor annoyances but could be ironed out. Anyway, have a nice day maam. > Challenging - This is a plus for me. If you are used to working in a 'cookie-cutter' consultancy and have workflows and models, then it may not be for you. The cases are significant, different every time, with top clients with stringent deadlines. You need to be top draw, a self thinker and on the ball, You have ample help, but no one is going to tell you what tool to use, and you will be to answer if you don't collect or find something because of adherence to a single device. This is a software agnostic firm. This is not a 'sausage factory' forensics firm. > A lot of reporting on figures and other stuff every week, if you % utilisation billable is down you will know about it! I would have thought this would be just for management and you would be taken to a quiet corner to discuss quarterly, but you are constantly reminded of performance on a micro-level. A quiet week and you will have the whole office know about it though sometimes it is just because there hasn't been a claim. Some staff will look at this all the time, like football scores. I personally just try and market as hard as possible and sometimes you have a busy month other times not.