Compelling Vision / Upside down accountability model
Pros
It's hard to beat Esri's vision. Esri provides their clients the tools and services they need to make the world a better place . It doesn't matter whether you're into solving world hunger, protecting the environment, or preserving our crumbling infrastructure. Esri has tools and services that make it easier. At Esri you get to work with some of the world's most brilliant minds; people who are passionate about what they do. You can have access to cutting edge software and will be empowered to do what you need to in order to get the job done, so long as you are putting the customer first. If you are unsure of which path to take you only need ask yourself two questions; is it ethical? and is it good for the customer? If the answer is yes to both, there will likely be no serious repercussions if you make a mistake.
Cons
If you're looking for high wages and a lot of recognition, Esri's culture will work against you. Some folks at Esri are making good money and some are in the spotlight. These are not necessarily the same people. If it's the spotlight you want, you have to be a true believer and an evangelist. If it's high pay you're looking for, you need to grind, grind, grind. Oftentimes these goals are mutually exclusive. The expectation is that the work is its own reward. What that translates to in real life is that strong performers are held accountable and poor performers are not. This upside down model can create a caustic work environment, especially when poor performers are promoted out of their groups (sometimes the easiest way to get rid of a problem is to promote it away) while good performers are treated like traitors if they express a desire to advance their careers.
