Pros
I was hired without any professional IT work history, but was given everything I needed to know during training. If you have a passion for IT and an aptitude to learn fast, HostGator is a great company to get your foot in the door. There is a strong focus on providing employees with education to get them on the career path they desire. As an employee who might be new to the industry, every interaction with a customer exposes you to an opportunity to learn something new, master that subject, and become an asset that can allow you to move up the ladder. Sure, there's free food, massages, beer, a game room, and all of the other themes that are commonplace with hip startups, or laid back tech environments... and don't get me wrong, these are all really nice perks, but the glue that holds everything together are the people. I can't speak personally for the Houston office, but the Austin office is home to some of the most sincere people I've ever known. Every Shift Lead and Supervisor I have had, I was happy to also call a friend. My sentiment isn't persuaded by any acts of favoritism or activities outside of the workplace, but because they were excellent leaders. They looked after their employees, worked to the best interest of their subordinate's career, and remained professional and loyal to the interests of the company. If there is any advice I can give, shoot for the most challenging technical position available, and take every opportunity to further your education. You won't find a better place to gain this knowledge.
Cons
Sadly, I've witnessed many quality employees leave the company during my time with HostGator. This may have been encouraged due to the comparatively low pay, political conflict, or direction that the company heading. HostGator would be wise to hold tight to their most valued employees, and shower them with a pay increase. The metric requirements are nothing more than a demoralizing roadblock that only encourages sloppy work so that one can reach quota. It is a completely broken system. An employee could churn out a days worth of sub-par work and fly under the radar, while someone else treads in hot water because they had to clean up their mess. There is also a bonus system, however, should you be the unfortunate soul who catches an undeserved low rating from an irate customer, you are just out of luck. The most heartbreaking situation of all, is the nosedive that internal systems have taken. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that "everything is broken". The development team has pushed forward with "updates" that weren't needed or asked for, which only result in multiple mission-essential functions breaking. All the while, there is a back log of show-stopping bug reports that remain untouched or flat out ignored. There is no policy for employees to follow when working around these broken features, and the work environment is often a chaotic joke. There was a constant cry for improvement from employees at all levels, but it either fell on deaf ears, or just never made it up the chain. HostGator used to be an exciting thing to be a part of. There were a good number of ambitious and talented employees, and the esprit de corps was invigorating. That flame appeared to die, upper management appeared to quit caring, and senior employees just seemed burnt out. I loved HostGator, but it was clearly time to jump ship.