Growing consulting firm focused on advancing and rewarding my professional career
Pros
Pariveda hires the best, uses them, grows them, and gives them ample opportunity to objectively advance through their career at an accelerated pace. Every company promises this, but doesn't deliver; most companies advance those who play politics well (golf with the right people, etc.) even though their skills may be lacking for the level they are compensated at (think of the technical managers you've seen that aren't technical and can't run a project). After working for this company for 1 year, experiencing, first-hand, my own growth, having had 4 project reviews & 2 semi-annual reviews, and being promoted because I achieved the qualifications of the next level, I understand that Pariveda truly does adhere to their claims for employee professional development. Pariveda has an objective method of grading and advancing employees through set expectations. Each time when you are reviewed, you are rated on how you are doing against the qualities expected for your current level and how you are doing on gaining the qualities you need to advance to the next level. It's pretty black-and-white and leaves very little room for subjectivity; in other words, level input equals level of output. As a company, Pariveda provides salaries that are extremely competitive because they hire the best. It's amazing to see the level of detail and examination that goes on during the hiring/recruiting process, so the miss-hire rate is very low, and you can count on your fellow employees to be competent and get the job done. Yes, benefits are good like most companies. Communication from the leadership team is frequent, and the company's health and financials are very transparent to all employees. No one has an office; everyone (including the CEO) has a cube. There is a very egalitarian and positive atmosphere, and the executives are extremely intelligent, approachable, and open to change and new ideas. Moreover, it's an employee-owned company, so the only stockholders we have to please is ourselves. Also, our CEO drives a Toyota hybrid, which should tell you something good about his ideals. As a final note, I am not an executive. I am not a recruiter. I am not here to sell anything to you. I am just a consultant. I just wanted to honestly share my opinion on this company. I wish I would have found this company many years ago.
Cons
If you have personal ambitions and a drive to improve, it's a great place to work, but if you are looking for someplace to "coast on home" until the end of your career, it may not be the best for you; they hire the best people that are looking to be the best at what they do. Be prepared for change; Pariveda is a small, but growing, company, so systems, policies and procedures are subject to change as the firm grows and expands nationally and globally. The company tries not to travel its employees (they tend to choose projects in the communities around the offices), but it is a consulting firm and there is always that risk; in other words, if you are looking for 0% travel, Pariveda might not be the best fit. This company is all about small teams and networking with others, so if you work better alone and want complete control over your work (and be honest with yourself here), this company may not be the best fit. Pariveda pays extremely well, but it doesn't have commissions or bonuses if you are looking for that; on another note, those alternate forms of compensation are just methods companies use to throttle salaries. The company does not have a dedicated sales force, so our senior architects and VP's are responsible project delivery as well as gaining new projects and opportunities. Therefore, if you don't like selling, then at some point in your career here you won't be as happy.