Our BellSouth contacts are fond of their company. Says one insider: "I would have to say it has been a great company to work for." The same contact continues: "Since we divested in 1984, BellSouth has struggled as a company deciding whether we wanted to be a 'family' or a pit bull, and I believe the masses within the company determined BellSouth is a family of people dedicated to succeeding in a competitive world. They are very community oriented, also." Another contact declares, "BellSouth is an excellent place to work," and notes that "there is a tremendous variety of job opportunities."

Mostly conservative, pockets of progressive

While telecom technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, the culture at BellSouth apparently hasn't. One contact tells us "the corporate culture is fairly conservative." "The corporate culture," one longtime insider notes, "has not changed a great deal over the 30 years that I have been here - still too much of a silo and rank-oriented, but, again, there are progressive organizations within BellSouth that have flattened their organizations and become much more team-oriented." The same contact advises that " [BellSouth] does not take a huge amount of risk, so if risk-taking is important to you, then you might want to look at places like AT&T, USWEST, Ameritech, etc." One employee with less than five years in the company is more negative about the environment, describing it as "Old style monopoly Bell heads with a lot of politics."

Beware the unwritten dress code

One of our insiders tells us "the dress code depends on your job, but has relaxed a lot over the past few years." Another isn't so sure. "Certainly not like IBM, but BellSouth has "unwritten rules" - I say that because those [workers] who dress more businesslike tend to be looked upon more favorably for promotion or for management jobs."

Tough hours lurk

The consensus among our contacts is that BellSouth employees work hard. "The hours can be long," explains one, adding: "but most jobs can have flexible hours, making long hours more bearable. We also encourage telecommuting so that helps a lot too. It's easier to work a 10-12 hour day if there is not two additional hours of commuting involved." Another insider agrees: "The work hours vary, but are relatively traditional. Long hours if a project has a short time frame, but generally 10-12 hours 5 days a week."

Very strong benefits

BellSouth offers a long list of benefits, including: medical coverage, dental care, leaves of absence, personal days, auto and home insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, adoption assistance and continuing education support. An Atlanta employee says the salaries are "good," but the benefits are "great," citing matching 401(k) plans, discounts on phone bills, high-speed Internet connections at home, and a pension plan. Our insiders confirm that the benefits package is "very strong." One explains, however, that "folks on the financial side don't have the same perks as those on the sales side," and further specifies that "the perks are better in large business sales than in residence or small business."

Diversity: opportunities await those who break their butts

Fortune ranked BellSouth tenth in their July 2001 issue listing "America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities." The magazine reported that minorities comprised 41 percent of new hires in 2000 and held two seats on the board of directors. Insiders generally give BellSouth high marks for diversity. One reports, "as far as treatment of minorities, BellSouth is at the top of the list." Another agrees, but qualifies: "We have women in high-level positions and minorities in high level positions. Those folks probably had to work a lot harder and sacrifice a lot more than others." The same contact counsels prospective BellSouthers "It is my belief that any woman any minority can succeed at BellSouth if they have the skill set needed in today's market, have a clear vision about where they want to go in the organization, locate a mentor who will guide them and 'open doors,' and are willing to bust their rear to add such value that no one can ignore their contributions." As an additional point of interest, BellSouth requires quarterly reports of its contractors on the hiring of women and minority subcontractors.

Trouble on the horizon?

Despite the generally positive reports from BellSouth employees, there is concern that the future might not be so bright. A respondent in Atlanta tells us that relations between management and employees are "generally nasty without intending to be. People are moved around and [reorganized] every few months for no obvious reason." This insider calls it a "crazy environment - no one knows what the organization will be in a few months or if they will have a job and if they do, what that will be." In closing, our insider "would not recommend people try to attain employment here."