Turnover:
When I joined Invenergy, the global headcount was ~1,000. A year later, the headcount had increased by several hundred. What is astounding is that this growth occurred in spite of the countless individuals leaving the company during that same period.
Baptism by Fire:
Turnover and lateral movement between teams often puts junior employees in a tough position. In my own experience, my manager switched departments within months of my hire and a new manager was brought in. Former colleagues have shared similar management stories. In the absence of a manager, one junior employee relied on their outside consultant to guide them through project development basics. Separately, another junior employee found themselves teaching their manager - who had recently transitioned into the industry - how to do their job.
Long Hours:
The truth is, project development will always demand long hours. However, at Invenergy, not many openly acknowledge the evening and weekend hours worked.
Compensation:
Salary is below market and management is well aware of this. Invenergy's business strategy is to fill their ranks with recent graduates and folks transitioning into the industry, work them hard until they leave, then rinse and repeat. Promotions at Invenergy are dual purpose: a job title bump is both a carrot to those who stick around while also allowing the company to maintain their compensation structure. In other words, a "promotion" from "Analyst" to "Senior Analyst" is less indicative of exceptional performance than it is a mechanism to gatekeep a salary raise.
Kool-Aid:
Invenergy leans on its industry clout to attract and retain employees. However, because many hires are new to the industry (e.g. recent grads and folks making a career change), employees may not have experienced greener pastures. For those who have worked there and since moved on, there is no looking back.
