Pros
- Pretty good benefits. Healthcare 2% of salary, dental $5 a month, 401k 100% up to 5%, $2,500-$5000 tuition reimbursement, 15 days vacation after 1st year, and most benefits available 1 month after hire. For the sporting goods industry, not too shabby (but it's not Netflix or Google). - Awesome people. Most of the people you meet will become close friends for life. - Brand power. The CEO and the rest of the company has done a fantastic job repositioning NB as a legitimate athletic brand and a trendy lifestyle brand in the last 10 years. - Added fun perks. The nature of the sports industry - running races and fun launch events are par for the course if you are enthusiastic and make friends (everyone is friendly) - Emphasis on Voluteerism - employees are encouraged to volunteer and are even "paid" for it during work days.
Cons
- Compensation could be better. Boston is a top market for cost of living. - Needs better maternity leave. Currently 60-70% of salary is offered for 6 weeks. Not ideal, and especially not for a company that considers itself a leader in how they treat their employees. - Nepotism. Be prepared for the owner's son who is rising rapidly in the ranks and grooming himself for the big shoes. Anyone in that position should make sure he/she always comes from an incredibly humble place and work for a similar company and/or get a serious MBA before assuming they can take over and make key business decisions. - Coasters. At a private company, longterm employees who don't add much value except get in the way can be a pain, especially for talented go-getters. - Contradictions/ADD. The company has a hectic approach to identifying key priorities and often contradicts itself. Seems like they spend money on silly ideas and not enough money on the right ones.