Tesla

• Free cereal (not generic!), soft serve, soda.
• Good benefits, you can pocket quite a bit into an HSA, but no 401k matching, which is disappointing.
• Transparency to upper management. You can talk to who you need to (with limits, of course).
• Everyone says it is a great resume builder. Who knows if this will hold to be true.
• Freedom to learn and implement many different things, even if only slightly related to your job title.
• Many, many kind people who are willing to help each other and make the place better for everyone.
• Many, many smart engineers.

• On the flip side, many, many morons/crazy people are ready to jump to conclusions.
• Stupid email chains with many people included.
• We do things in a scrappy (i.e., crappy) way.
• Bullying and harassment, a lot of drama.
• Also, people who do not fundamentally understand the process are somehow in charge?
• A lot of great data to play with if: 1.) we chose to collect it 2.) had people who understood the fundamentals of statistics (n=5 is an amazing benchmark).
• Engineering trials are considered pointless, and equipment is turned over to production before validation.
• Preventative maintenance is considered waste, though people will definitely be sure to let you know that we aren't doing it.
• Responsibilities between manufacturing and maintenance are highly blended. Be prepared with your wrenches at all times.
• Safety is not always the primary concern. Management may permit, partake, or even suggest unsafe procedures. Be ready to stand your ground.
• 24/7 on call. It doesn't matter if you worked 20 hours in a day; always be ready for a call at 3 AM. Be prepared for continuous firefighting (erm, I mean thermal event management).
• Management overpromises on timelines without consulting engineers.
• Everything you do is "high priority." Just ignore that nonsense. No one bothers to check in to see how to help you move along or what is gating your progress.
• Divisions of teams between departments, even between employees of the same title. Employee skills are not leveraged, and instead, everyone can learn everything and in turn, become responsible for everything.
• No mentorship for new engineers. This could be considered a pro for some, as you will be treated as a full engineer and, as stated above, you have a lot of freedom for self-directed learning.
• An office space perpetually being constructed (do you like breathing weld dust?).
• Strange hiring practices.
• Unbelievable amounts of turnover.
• Extremely understaffed with people way above always looking to chop more.
• Because they are so understaffed, once you learn about a piece of equipment, it is now under your ownership. The previous owner will have no stake in the day-to-day operation of the equipment. It's all yours now.
• Don't view stocks or the low-value relocation package as perks. Those are just golden handcuffs to keep you here for two years and burn through you.

Whatever. I truly hope that change can come, but there are no systems in place to make it so. Words are meaningless until people follow through.