Pros
This is a great place for people who are driven and willing to work a lot of hours. Opportunities are always available for people who hustle and get stuff done. The work is challenging and co-workers are bright, hard working people. Permissive time off - no set vacation, you take time off as you need it; the company is pretty flexible and no one is watching how much time you take off (although they do track permissive time taken in the aggregate) For HR, you have opportunities to add real value. People don't always like HR but HR means something at GE - the function has a seat at the table.
Cons
You're competing with employees who work a lot of hours and get more stuff done than average. The star performers are individuals who struggle to say no and contribute to a culture of over-committing. The HR function is very much centered on projects versus employee support (although if it came to light that you were a terrible HRM, it wouldn't be viewed favorably). There's a bias for getting stuff done, even if it doesn't necessarily add value. Very political. There's a huge emphasis "building your network;" promotions and opportunities often are reflective of who you know and if people in your network are part of the in-crowd. The company is flexible with time off as long as you get your work done; problem is that you have 60 hours worth of work to complete. I'm paid $40/hour but factor in 20 hours of overtime and I'm earning just under $30/hour. Not worth it.
