Pros
People at Benevolent are kind, patient, friendly, and yet also serious about getting good work done. The vibe is start-up: mission, freedom, and innovation. Unlike many start-ups, however, employees also feel empowered to leave at 5pm and also make time for their own learning. Plus European benefits like generous holiday and parental leave. Flexible work-from-home, too. The company feels stable and nurturing, and the problems we're working on are super interesting. Finally, the high level of tech support across the company, including more lengthy collaborations between teams, is a privilege in itself. I learn so much from my colleagues all the time.
Cons
For software engineers and AI scientists, I think the pay doesn't yet compare to very big tech companies, which is who we lose our tech talent to when we have turnover. Being split over NY and London time zones can also make communication and scheduling tricky. Finally, the NY office is small compared to the London one, so NY workers can sometimes feel a bit out of sync if most of their team members are in the other time zone, or occasionally also vice versa.