Incredible learning experience, but comes with serious sacrifices
Pros
-Be hands on immediately: You're given a few weeks of training and then get to start moving freight on your own. -Independence: Ensuring on-time performance and making executional decisions is something that you'll be able to take responsibility for very quickly. -Solid direct management: For the most part the operations managers are incredibly hard working and very supportive of their team (even when they might be overworked and under-resourced themselves).
Cons
-Unhealthy competition: As the ops org has grown, Flexport's strategy for trying raise the headcount has been to hire large batches of people into the same or similar role. You're then told that the way to be promoted is by being in the top percentage of your team (it's not explained how this is calculated) and by "demonstrating Flexport's values" among other time and responsibility requirements. This ultimately leads to people competing to see who can be the loudest voice and trying to improve or change processes just for the sake of recognition. Along with this, your trajectory is ultimately determined by which transportation mode you work on. This means that even if you execute flawlessly every day you might not be considered for promotion because the execs aren't interested in your mode of transportation at that time. -Long hours: Often it will take long hours just to complete your assigned work. While you are paid overtime the starting pay is so low that it hardly makes it worth it, especially when you're required to live in some of the most expensive cities in the country. -Dishonesty in the hiring process: This comes in multiple forms, the first one being with the case study. Unless it's been recently changed, the case study (one that requires critical thinking and analytical type skills) is not at all reflective of the actual data entry and repetitive nature of the role. Also, you are told that there is absolutely no flexibility in terms of pay because they want everyone to be on an equal playing field, but once you accept the job it's easy to see that Specialists and Associates do the same work but Associates are paid more.
