Disjointed, Dysfunctional, Disappointing
Pros
-The passion of frontline employees and the technical competency of people you work with on a day-to-day basis is quite high. I still consistently work with really smart people. -You are still employed during COVID. The company has taken a generally accommodating stance for remote work. -The recruiting team makes a genuine effort to promote and enhance the diversity of the workforce.
Cons
-The company lacks focus. Over the past couple of years, the allure of the HLS (Human Landing System), LSA contracts (Launch Services Agreement), and the push to get New Shepard human flight has severely diluted the resources and attention of the company. Additionally, as we attempted to scale the company in light of this scope, we did not follow our own "Gradatim Ferociter" (Step-by-step, ferociously) approach, instead biting off massive amounts of technical scope by way of trying to earn government launch contracts. This leads to the company lacking the proper focus necessary to achieve our goals. What does this lead to on a day-to-day basis? We do not have the proper support across the organization (procurement, facilities, testing), to move at pace to meet our deadlines. There are severe organizational deficits in our development process that makes us slower and worse. We do not meet our deadlines, we no longer believe our own schedules, morale sinks. Rinse and repeat. -The company is losing people. The messaging from company leadership has consistently been, "Our attrition rates are lower than that of industry." As an employee, I do not have the figures and data that HR has resources do, so I cannot back up or factually deny this claim. HOWEVER, what I do see in my group and my business unit are exceptional engineers leaving by the week, by the month, and by the year. What this tells me, anecdotally, when this attrition is happening in the middle of a PANDEMIC, is that there is a common thread culturally and organizationally that is driving out talented workers elsewhere. -I didn't join this company necessarily for its benefits or its salary. I joined the company for its vision and its growth potential. When the reasons for which I joined seemed to no longer hold true, I start to default to seeking better benefits and salaries to compensate. In this space, Blue Origin also lacks a competitive advantage to its direct competitors. Blue Origin does not offer any meaningful equity to its employees, does not make up its meager salary (when adjusted for Seattle cost of living) with other benefits such as education reimbursement or a flexible work schedule, and certainly, at this point in time, does not offer employees with the same sense of professional satisfaction they would get at other new space companies. I have often heard this uttered "we are the worst of both worlds," referring to the worst of Old and New aerospace.