Pros
Family-owned company in business since 1891. The family members are authentic in their appreciation for employees. The CEO has a bold vision, and demonstrates leadership through connections with all employees. Benefits: insurance is phenomenal considering the company size; only 9 paid holidays per year, but this is not uncommon in the industry; the ability to have a work-life balance and handle personal affairs during business hours is accommodated within reason (for salaried employees); vacation and personal time is the standard 120 hours; a lot of promotions occur from within (which, in my case, was detrimental); promotions are occurring frequently right now because of the recovery in the housing market, and the company growth.
Cons
My time at NB Handy came to an end because of a conflict between my preferred autonomous work style and my manager's expectations. My manager had primarily been at the tactical level for two decades, and once promoted, it quickly became obvious that she was the textbook example of a micromanager. Preferring more autonomy, I made decisions that bore fatal consequences. More money was spent, in terms of payroll dollars, arguing over trivial matters typically considered part of the cost of doing business than the money that was perceptionally being "lost" or "wasted". After being formally disciplined twice in a short period of time, I became paranoid about every decision I made, which became a self-fulfilling prophecy leading to more errors. In the end, I left because I was tired of being the weakest link, and being micromanaged. Had this incompatibility not occurred, I had intentions of being a career employee.
