Pros
I must say that Exacto's "family first" attitude is very much appreciated and rare in today's employment culture. If your child is ill, your place is at home caring for him or her and management supports that view wholeheartedly. I also found that they were very flexible with life's unexpected circumstances. Flat tires, root canals, broken water heaters; Exacto understands that sometimes you just have no control over what happens and they are very flexible in allowing you take care of life's mishaps.
Cons
You might be tempted to accept a job at Exacto based on the friendly smiles, office environment, promise of "servant leadership" and talk of a "unique culture". Don't be fooled; this company functions like a cliquey middle school and its a miracle that any work gets done at all. The hierarchy and a person's "status" is very important there, and while upper management will often talk about leaving your personal ego at the door for the betterment of the company, most have a hard time actually doing so, and you will find yourself walking on eggshells to get any work done for fear of offending someone or breaking an unspoken rule. Training is non-existent for many positions. You will be expected to just "know" what is expected of you, how the company operates, and how day-to-day housekeeping tasks are accomplished. Good luck! Because if you happen to stumble onto an issue, task, or requirement with which you are unfamiliar or untrained, it will be considered your fault for not knowing. Finger pointing is their game and they play hard. Unless you are top management (and even sometimes if you are), expect to be made a scapegoat often and due to no fault of your own. Taking ownership of a problem, mistake, or project is rare; most would prefer to simply kick the can down the road and blame another person or team. The worst part about how this company functions is that they are constantly "moving the cheese" so to speak. Think you've got a project, assignment or priority figured out and are ready to knock it out of the park? WRONG! Most decisions are made on impulse without much thought or research and unfortunately, this often results in minds being changed at the last moment and a lot of wasted time and effort. You will be expected to work full force towards goals and at the same time be ready to turn on a dime at a moment's notice when something shiny catches the eye of the person in charge. In response to all these negatives, you might say, "But look at all the fun and awesome perks they offer their employees!". Indeed, you will find that company-sponsored meals, outings, small gifts and tokens of appreciation are often gifted. You will also find that these events and gifts are an attempt to buy your loyalty and silence; that offering the occasional nominal gift will make you turn a blind eye to the serious disfunction occurring, and allow them to continue treating you poorly. While this approach appeases some, others find it patronizing, demeaning, and insulting to their intelligence, while still others have no choice but to accept whatever treatment comes down the line because they need a steady paycheck to support their families. Make no mistake, you will find some of the kindest, most thoughtful, intelligent and talented folks at Exacto, and these are the people that keep you coming back day after day. On the other hand, you will also find some of the rudest, most condescending, two-faced, and untrustworthy people there as well. At the end of the day, a job at Exacto will provide a steady paycheck. Will it be worth the frustration, anger, disappointment, and (assuming you do not live in the bustling metropolis that is Sharon, WI), commute? You'll need to determine that for yourself. But don't say you weren't warned.
