Pros
I work in the Talent Management department at headquarters in Reston, VA and really enjoy working for Appian! I've worked at many other companies and of course there are always things that can improve, but overall my experience here has been very positive. Here are the things that make me enjoy coming to work:
- The people. Hands down this is the best company culture I've experienced. Everyone that works here is smart, driven, friendly, and excited about their work. They are also not afraid to have fun while getting work done, which is really important to me.
- Work/life balance - I rarely have to stay late or work on weekends, which I had to do every week at my last job. Obviously, we stay when there are big projects/presentations or deadlines, but most of the time we work a standard workweek in my department.
- Celebrations/awards - A lot of companies hit milestones and forget to celebrate all of the hard work that went into hitting those goals, but Appian does not. We recently went public and had a party for the entire company. Also, at every quarterly meeting several employees are recognized for doing amazing work with awards, which can sometimes include a plaque/trophy, stock options, or a trip! It's very cool to see people recognized for doing great work.
- Free parking - I used to work in downtown DC where parking costs are outrageous, so it's nice to pull in the garage and not have to think about what it will cost to be at work that day.
- Breakfast every Monday! I think no matter how much you enjoy your job, Mondays can suck so it's awesome to have breakfast waiting for me in the kitchen Monday morning. Small, but makes a big difference.
- Successful company - It's nice to feel like you're a part of a winning team and Appian is doing really well!
Cons
As with any company, there are always a few things that could be better. I recently moved out to Reston because my commute from Alexandria was such a pain. I didn't trust the metro because it was so inconsistent and took forever and driving was a nightmare because of the traffic and if you choose to use the toll road (which is a lot faster) you end up paying $5.00 a day to get to work and home. I miss being closer to DC, but I got over 2 hours of my day (or 10 hours of my week) back.
I also wish that the health insurance options were more affordable. My monthly costs for health insurance doubled from the last company I was with, so that is frustrating.
