Pros
1. Creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are valued: analysts are given the opportunities and resources to shape processes and products, from quantitative analysis, interactive maps, to infographics. Anything beyond the scope of qualitative analysis compels analysts to brainstorm in inventive ways and constantly coordinate with analysts on other teams and support service employees, which in my experience, has taught me invaluable interpersonal and intra-office lessons. I personally sense the notion that analysts have a voice in both the quality and efficiency-of-process behind each product - an invaluable trait not found in other DCMA-based consultancies. 2. Espirit de corps: management does an excellent job in not only hiring competent, but also friendly, passionate, and fun employees, who help cultivate a tightly-knit, welcoming work environment. Being around my coworkers is just as powerful as a motivator as receiving a salary itself . Management additionally works hard to generate high morale, either through work-related events or frequent face-to-face outreach to employees. 3. Diverse nature of work: due to the volatile nature of contractual work, Navanti does its best to retain employees by shifting them from contract to contract, allowing analysts to work with a variety of people and develop different areas of expertise and skills. Even on singular contracts, analysts deal with multiple subjects outside of their comfort zone. 4. Flexibility: a number of employees are able to attend school, take professional training courses, and develop skills outside the outside simultaneously because of the management's pro-growth, flexible style. As a early-20-something, this atmosphere sends a particularly encouraging message that Navanti is invested in each analyst's individual development. I believe this cultivates a sense of loyalty, which complements Navanti's positive corporate culture. 5. A response to misogynistic reviews: Though the company is majority-male, I sense on a daily basis that female employees are valued and treated impartially. I would call Navanti out if I sense a misogynistic culture here; however, I believe these criticisms are unfairly based on other analysts' experiences related to other issues. I believe the last batch of 4-5 newly-hired employees have been female, telling me that Navanti goes out of its way to generate a diverse workforce that we all benefit from.
Cons
1. Middle management: Navanti has struggled with maintaining a tangible, effective cadre of middle-level managers necessary to instill team- and company-wide processes. These responsibilities, at times, fall on the analysts, providing unique experiences, but also distracting them from their product bandwidth. 2. High-stress level: The demand and supply of products can be hectic. Deadlines can be tight and workloads spike from time-to-time. However, a silver lining is that Navanti does its best to encourage a healthy work-life balance by accommodating flexible schedules, teleworking, and overtime pay. After all, if one cannot handle the stresses of this type of work, then consider finding another career field. 3. Perception of slow growth: Though Navanti works hard at securing new contracts, analysts do hold the perception that the company is growing slowly. This hurts morale and does not reassure analysts about the volatile nature of contractual work.