With recent (in terms of Hatch's existance) expansion into Africa and Australia and the even more recent resources boom there has been a tendancy to move people around the world to fill positions on projects in other offices rather than employ locals at higher salaries than perhaps their experience warrants. Whilst this is a positive to those looking to travel, it often leads to large gaps in the local offices once the people inevitably & understandably decide to return home after 3, 5 or 10 year stints in other countries.
This has created issues in developing local market penetration as continuity and individual trust is a major cornerstone in the repeat work Hatch tries to gather from clients. Additionally it can create a perception to some that unless your career started in certain preferred reigions there is a limited career path in the company. As I say this is a perception and only time will tell if it is in fact a reality as the younger crop of Hatchlings matures.
Despite the multidisciplinary environment that the projects we work on provide often individuals report to a "discipline lead" who is recognised as an expert in their field of speciality. Your advancement through the ranks and the opportunites presented rely heavily on the relationship with this person. Unfortunately, your performance on projects is not always reported back to your discipline lead and because often you do not work closely with them on a day to day basis their perception of you is not always as insightful as it could and should be.