Pros
This experience taught me to be more of an advocate for myself.
Cons
If you are deemed lucky enough to make it to an interview for a Home Office position you will constantly be reminded of the selectivity of upper management - they will tell you over and over again how elite and coveted these jobs are. What is outwardly communicated as a "rigorous" recruiting process actually feels a lot more like initiation into a high school clique. Applicants are scheduled to meet for an initial interview, and then are often asked to stay for hours so everyone else in management and leadership can speculate and then give their blessing when the decision must be made. Often applicants meet with 10+ employees, many of whom are not necessarily best suited to make a decision about if a person should be hired for a particular role or not. The company likes to boast about not being traditional with these practices, but it comes at tremendous expense. Favoritism is rampant, and for all of the wrong reasons. While I do believe that the CEO cares about developing his employees and is a strong leader, unfortunately others in management are not in the same boat. Managers are often dishonest about the perceived "issues" with employees who complain, and then employees are shuffled around in what feels like a gas lighting attempt to get the employees to quit so the "problems" will go away. I have heard from numerous other employees who were hired before and after me who were not part of the "inner circle" that they also felt tricked, lied to, and foolish for believing what they were told in the interview process. I can't believe I fell for it, but am simultaneously glad and yet disheartened that I was not alone in those feelings. Not at all.
