Pros
Webfilings is exceptional in its identity as a company. To my knowledge, it is the only of it's kind in central Iowa. It is a tech company using all the new "shinys" the world has to offer in almost every department. A mini-Google in many respects with a state of the art cafe, a brand new campus with a modern feel and look, and marker scratches of everything from code snippets to marketing diagrams on every inch of glass. Innovation is the currency with many of power phrases to go along with it. The growth has been incredible. The field force has jumped significantly each year providing possible opportunity for an ambitious employee. The original workforce is incredibly talented and hard-working. The product has revolutionized its niche which creates a very strong sense of pride among the departments and the company proper. Events and activities are common. Health benefits are second to none and compensation is likely to be higher than any peer for the same work.
Cons
Like any great growth story, Webfilings is caught in that arduous position between 'small' and 'big' company. Small companies have flexibility, quick turns, and close relationships; big companies have stability, steady gains, and a strong management system. Webfilings is edging on the negative side of all of these while in its teen-years. It is not too late to recover, but at present the values and culture have been lost to the pitfalls of growth. The flexibility, self-ownership, manager-employee trust, and work-life balances are no longer pluses. When the company was small, managers could be very choosey about who they hired, who they gave responsibility to, and what areas needed attention. More than that, the culture was naturally more like a family because everyone "knew everyone." It is easy for any tech company with high sales to thrive in this state. Unfortunately, the influx of employees has led to a massive dilution of talent and focus. Upper management may be strong and capable of guiding people within their reach, but they no longer managing the company; middle managers are. Upper management is steering the company only in vision. This may sound ideal as its the primary function of upper management, but the company growth came when they were managing the day-to-day operations. Those operations are now being managed by many people who emerged during the boom period and are either unqualified or worse, are unfamiliar with the culture. Many of the middle managers are close friends of upper management (as is common in small companies) and thus irreplaceable which makes the problem unfixable. Upper management is, to my knowledge, untested in this environment and everything is stretching. Morale shows this stretch. Communication shows this stretch. Productivity shows this stretch. Even innovation shows this stretch. The company appears tired because its employees are tired. Will Webfilings break through and hit "large" status with all the benefits that go with it and leave behind the "good-old-boys" club of management and chaotic workflow? Time will tell but in my observation and experience, now is not a good time to join unless you are willing to accept a great deal of uncertainty. The payoff could be huge or could be a lot of frustration. Of course there are teams that thrive in the worst of situations and there are teams that drown in the best. Whatever you decide, best of luck.