14 Truths about working inside a large orthopedic company
I worked for Big Orthos early in my career. Today as a retained recruiter, I talk with people every week who are working in one of the Big 5 Orthos. There are many common experiences. The OPPOSITE is true if you work in a startup.
1 – Everyone has heard of your employer and you are proud of your business card. Your parents can say that you work for Johnson & Johnson without any more explanation.
2 – You only know a small percentage of people who work at your company.
3 – The CEO doesn’t really know you.
4 – Resources are abundant. There is a department for everything at your company.
5 – Your role and your projects are well defined.
6 – Decision making is extremely slow.
7 – Your work is focused on a subset of a larger project and there are handoffs before and after your work contribution.
8 – Your salary and bonuses are well defined. You generally know your total compensation this year and next year.
9 – Even though the company bureaucracy and systems are a mess, there are good people in every department.
10 – You are waiting in line for your next promotion. HR has rules about length of service and responsibility before you can move to the next level. HR’s system is driven by fairness and parity for all employees.
11 – You attend ALOT of meetings (mostly video today) and most meetings do not result in a decision or a concrete action item.
12 – Your job satisfaction is directly linked to your supervisor and your local department. Good supervisor = happy. Bad supervisor = unhappy.
13 – Your promotions are based on politics, not merit.
14 – In your company, a few key people have the power and control over big decisions and it’s not always easy to find out who they are.
