Pros
I can think of four positives regarding working at DISH. 1.) It's in the Denver area, which is a wonderful place to live. 2.) It is possible to gain exposure to senior executives and partake in critical decision making early in one's career. 3.) Good people, at least at lower levels. There was a sense of camaraderie between employees because we were all in the same mess together! 4.) Work/life balance. I was only compelled on one occasion in a year at DISH to work longer than 8 hours in a day. The pace was fairly relaxed, which was a good thing at times, but caused boredom, as well.
Cons
Where to begin.... Many of the largest gripes about this company have been beaten to death in these Glassdoor reviews, so I'll focus on a few areas only. The distrust of employees runs deep at this company. You have to scan your fingerprint and go through a turnstile to enter the building so they can keep track of your hours. There's also a rigid "core hours" policy which limits flexibility to make doctors appointments, pick kids up from school, etc. In a world in which most companies are veering towards less restrictions on work style, DISH is a dinosaur. The pay is terrible. I started this job straight out of college, shortly after the financial crisis began and when my options were limited. I got out as soon as I could, and got a 50% pay raise when moving to a new job. At my first performance review at DISH, shortly before my departure, I was given a stellar review, but was told DISH wouldn't be providing any raises that year. If they're interested in keeping talent, they'll need to pay for it. My final gripe is on the mismatch in talent at this company. DISH recruits from top universities and can attract strong candidates out of school. Every one of these people, at least from my start class, views DISH as a stepping stone to a better company. The problem is that there are very few strong leaders in middle or upper management who are of the same caliber as the entry level talent at the company. Much of the young talent is wasted or squandered due to poor leadership. If I had had someone to look up to in my time there, perhaps things would have turned out differently, and I'm sure many of my peers would say the same.
