Pros

Great work-life balance
The people are great to work with
Good benefits
Fair management practices
Flexible regarding personal life issues/challenges
People work hard and take pride in their work

Cons

Very consensus-based organization - makes it challenging to get projects approved and accomplished in a timely manner.
Few standard operating procedures and work processes which leads to duplication of effort on behalf of employees in various departments.
Not enough administrative support.
No career paths and no formal career/development planning.

Advice to Senior Management

Take the employee survey seriously -- fix duplication of effort, create more development opportunities for employees, implement career development planning and career paths, and implement formal bonuses at levels below director to increase employee satisfaction, morale and reduce turnover.

Pros

People are great -- supportive, friendly. They pay pretty well to get you in the door

Cons

They tease you with the promise of managment incentive bonuses, but two out of the last six years have paid nothing. Even though my performance is always rated Excellent, I've never received the % bonus for my level. There's always some excuse -- the plan was underfunded, the money went to another business unit or the company didn't meet its goals. After awhile that rhetoric gets old.

Advice to Senior Management

May be time to jettison Gellert as CEO but somehow the board doesn't have the will to do it.

Pros

I was encouraged quite frequently by my superiors. Such positive culture (providing constructive feedback and recognize individual accomplishment) fostered an incredible team unity that was great for a new starter like me to observe.

Cons

I was often given very limited instruction by my direct supervisor. I didn't need any extensive hand-holding, yet I believe that work quality can be much enhanced and a lack of efficiency from rectifying rookie mistakes over and over again and be eliminated had management provide a more clear direction upon task assignment.

Advice to Senior Management

There were great leaders in the company, yet middle management retention seems quite low. This must be hurting Health Net's performances! Management should also help communicate the link between company success and personal/career development to create greater employee motivation.

Pros

Company pays well compare to industry standard.

Cons

Constant constant constant reorganization. Senior management jumps on every idea that sounds remotely good, and then cuts the plan in the 11th hour when they realize they bit off more than they could chew. Senior management acts like politicians... employees are smart enough to know how things work, but they just put on a smile, and tell you everything is excellent. The next day, layoffs hit, budgets are slashed, etc etc. Tell your employees the truth!!! It pays to be up front and honest with lower level management and employees. Nobody likes to be blatently lied too, but it seems as though thats the usual story!

Advice to Senior Management

Quit.

Pros

At this point, none. Used to be the people and the feeling that you were contributing to something that ultimately helps people.

Cons

Massive Outsourcing taking place, upper management only concerned with the bottom line and more than willing to blow off dedicated people with years of experience and critical company knowledge in favor of outsourcing jobs just to save a buck.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't sacrifice what adds value to the company, outsourcing dedicated people who've been with the company for years, decades, and losing the valuable knowledge and skills they posesse is casting off the very thing that made Health Net stand out from other companies.

Pros

I got lucky and my own supervisor has been very fair & supportive of me.....

Cons

Outdated technologies, poor communication between departments. extremely poor morale due to outsourcing and/or layoffs due to the company-wide reorganization.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior Mgmt should be outsourced....surely someone from India or the Philipines could do no worse at a fraction of the salary, bonuses, benefits, & golden parachutes that Senior Mgmt. not enjoys.......

Pros

Flexibility between work / life. Telecommuting and working remotely helps to offset rising costs for fuel, clothing, food, etc. Location is important to me. At least in California, Health Net seems to be surviving this economic crisis. Teamwork and collaboration between departments along with an open door policy help to facilitate a healthy work environment.

Cons

Compensation / Benefits - lousy dental plan, no bonuses, no employee stock purchase plan (that is huge), poor employee recognition, favoritism, salaries below competition fail to meet cost of living increases. Outdated technology. Changes to policies/procedures and staffing not well communicated to the entire associate population. Projects slip or fail due to lack of communication. Too many Vice Presidents. Still not a true National Company.

Advice to Senior Management

Make it a great place to work, recognize and reward successes.

Pros

The company has given me a great work/life balance. The compensation and benefits package seem in line with other major companies in the health car industry. My colleagues are competent and very pleasant to work with. The company has a genuine interest in the well-being of its employees and recognizes it strong performers. Overall company morale is also quite good.

Cons

I have noticed a lot of duplication of efforts across the company. There are frequent organizational and departmental restructurings that make it difficult to ever get situated comfortably. Seems like these restructurings happen every time I been to figure out the latest structure.

Advice to Senior Management

I don't work with Senior Management.

Pros

Technology challenges, flexible work hours, self-management. The location is good for most home locations in and around Sacramento for the traffic factor. Technology challenges include ramping up to SOA, never ending customer needs an multiple platforms to serve them. Flexible work hours are a great asset to have - outside appointments and such are never a problem, work from home (tele-commute) is allowed for home appointments (deliveries, etc.). Self-management is good because an associate does not have someone breathing down their neck and is responsible for their own methodology and or priority of tasks, all good for a thinking analyst!

Cons

Outsourcing, low or no positive performance feedback, no defined promotion path. Outsourcing is a great thing for 1) The company getting the contract. 2) The executive financially benefiting from the bonus received for "saving the company overhead". However, outsourcing is a blow to the associates whom actually do the work the company sells. Outsourcing sends a message indicating, "cost of service is more important than quality or loyalty". Outsourcing also costs our families hardship and drops our sense of security in American life and what Corporate America really is. A pat on the back is more powerful than a $10 Starbucks card a month later to many. Simple one on one "thanks, good job!" goes a long way! Without a defined career path, or how to stay on it means the ambitious Jr associates must do everything possible in a trial by fire method to move up the ladder.

Advice to Senior Management

Ask your self whom you are serving and think of the families you are hurting through outsourcing OUR jobs to offshore countries!

Pros

The best reasons to work for Health Net are the salaries, the benefits and the balance of work and life.

Cons

The downside is that the company could use new leadership that is better at planning, communication and providing adequate support for its employees. Also, employees are in constant fear of losing thier jobs to layoffs and reorganization; something the company seems to do about every three to four years.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior Managment should do a better job of planning and backing up the release of new products. If the internal infastructure is not in place, the product should not be released. Also need to focus on the basiscs; quality customer service and higher level of accuracy in enrollment and claims processing. Healthnet is not an easy company to work with. Policies and procedures are tedious and convoluted - need to simplify. Success comes from being indespensible to the broker community and the clients you serve. In this economy, people will pay more if you are the easiest and best choice in the market. Unfortunately, Healthnet is neither.