The largest con in my time with the company was bearing witness to (and becoming a victim of) the toxic culture that thrives in many departments. As others have stated, everything is very clique oriented. If you're not one of the butt kissers, you may be isolated and not made to feel like a valuable team member, no matter how good you are at what you do. Expect to be often second guessed at team meetings when bringing up valid concerns. Also expect to be made an example of and even humiliated for your mistakes, while lead/supervisor favorites get away with a lot.
Some leads are given too much power, and allowed to run a muck, behaving more like supervisors than knowledgeable/approachable people who are in the trenches with you. With this, also comes the potential for micromanagement that borders outright harassment. You may be criticized for every last thing you do, down to how long you took in the restroom. Meanwhile, the butt kissers will get away with nearly anything that they want that isn't a huge offense.
If you are not an engineer, planner, etc. (someone working at a desk for the majority of the day) expect to be treated as a servant to the brilliant rockstars . When any mistake is made by them that complicates a schedule, expect your management to blame you first, until you prove yourself innocent. Expect any criticism, no matter how true, of these people and their processes to be treated as blasphemy. Expect to be confronted with huge egos.
Long hours will wear you down mentally, after awhile. The honeymoon phase of working here does wear off within the first six months to a year. Expect your personal life to feel much smaller than before. If you don't live a close distance to Hawthorne, have kids, etc. expect to be treated like you're not a team player for having to/wanting to leave early, even on weekend shifts and slow days.
Pay is generally lower than the industry standard for many positions. A decent raise is nearly impossible to attain. Achievements are downplayed at reviews, under the pretense of any new goals met for the next reviews having a larger impact. Empty words repeated every time. and rewards are minimal, if any.
Seniority was not respected or taken into consideration in my area. If the newer guy kisses the lead's butt, he's going to be treated better than you in all circumstances.
Not all job titles have clearly defined sets of responsibilities. As a result, your supervisor might make you responsible for things outside of your title's general implied scope. You may end up stretched very thin, expected to do so with a smile on your face.
401k contributions are not matched. No holiday bonuses. Most rewards, when given, are vested over time. Including the rare times when a cash bonus is offered.
