Garmin Reviews

I have been working at Garmin full-time

Pros – There are some great associates at Garmin. Unfortunately, many of them leave quickly.

Cons – The executive leadership team did a good job of getting Garmin to where it was in 2008. Since 2008, revenues and sales have been declining. They have no clue or plan for a way reverse the downward trend. There are no bonuses or stock for managers and no incentive to perform well. Aviation production is months behind schedule because of management's unwillingness to spend money on necessary production equipment. That's bad because that is supposed to be Garmin's strength.

Advice to Senior Management – Reward performance. Hire an outside marketing firm and spend some money on advertising. Co-op advertising through the Garmin dealer network isn't cutting it.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than a year

Pros – Good working hours in Taiwan. Generally from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Official time is 5 p.m., but you know in Taiwan, it is usually not possible to leave company on time. Compare to some other tech companies in Taiwan the working hours/salary is relatively good.
If you do not want to have too much uncertainty in your next half life, because It is a big company and very rich. They have competitive product lines. You don't need to worry about too much about the business.

Cons – Good working hours depends on the team you are chosen. Team leader has the power to decide the performance, which means the bonus and adjustment of salary you get. So the Pros is definitely depends on your team leader's working style. Before you decide to join this company/team, make sure you realize the working style of your specific team. Some other teams they do work to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. EVERYDAY.
Besides salary and working hours, if you want to have been promoted in a fast pace. You probably will be disappointed. There are too many people who have worked here for 8 or 10 years or more.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Garmin

Pros – Great benefits
Laid back dress code
Cafeteria on site

Cons – Low pay
Minimal advancement available
Like to switch job titles on you so you aren't able to get a better raise

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Shorts and t-shirts are common in the summer, environment is very casual. The people are generally great to work with. My immediate manager (and many of the other team leads) were fantastic. Health insurance benefit is great for a family, but I was single when I worked there.

Cons – Salaries are far sub-par and there is little in the way of bonuses. Sometimes engineers spend months on end working long hours and never see a bonus while the company rakes in huge profits and gives huge dividends to investors. The promotion system (Engineer I, Engineer II) is a joke, there is no clear definition of how to advance.

Advice to Senior Management – A bonus or at least some tangible recognition (extra days off?) for employees that go the extra mile would go a long way. When I left the company there was a general feel that the upper management did not appreciate the work of those at the lowest level.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

I worked at Garmin full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Exposure to projects from inception, room to explore a lot. Project analyst role very broad, you can do as much or as little as you want! Lots of initiatives for employees health, fitness.

Cons – Management not very versatile. Promotions difficult, you need to be part of "the" lunch group. Newly promoted team leads very petty and inexperienced with employee times.

Advice to Senior Management – Give everyone a fair chance. Change with changing times, allow more WFH, be more understanding and don't be petty with employee timings.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Really good health benefits for pre 2013 hires. Conservative culture. Loyal to employees and will go long way to assist employees that need help. Looking for ways to improve morale. Offers good educational benefits.

Cons – The job opportunities once inside are limited because the size of the company. Engineering driven company has innovation in roots but that restricts inputs from other disciplines.

Advice to Senior Management – Embrace risk at all levels of the organization. The associates are going to get the company to the next level if you work with them.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – Neat products to work on.
Not a lot of pressure.

Cons – Leadership training is practically non-existent for new managers, resulting in morale drop among employees.
Revers age discrimination in promotions.

Advice to Senior Management – Invest in employee leadership training prior to promotion.
Install professional development programs for engineers.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Monday through Friday schedule.
Excellent health benefits.
Great coworkers.
No pressure to rush customers off the phone.
No script to use for calls.

Cons – Few opportunities to do anything besides work at the call center once you start there.
Very small annual pay increase.
Low hourly pay.
Sasquatch and a Garmin bonus have something in common.
Repetitive tasks (Day mostly consists of coaching older people on how to use a computer).
A lot of time is wasted looking for devices at your coworkers cubicles (Employees are only issued a few devices)
Hold times often get very long and make customers irritable by the time they speak with you.

Advice to Senior Management – Increase the pay and respect for Product Support Reps. Provide career opportunities so that Product Support can be a launching pad at Garmin and not a dead end road. Find positive things to recognize employees for.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Garmin full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – The best thing about Garmin is the generally friendly attitude among the employees. Managers and employees are eager to share knowledge across teams. It's not uncommon to have face-to-face discussions with the other people working on a project. There's a definite focus on problem-solving and creating better products. Company provided benefits are acceptable, and other amenities such as on-site gym are a plus.

Cons – The leadership among management seems hit or miss. Some are very interested in the well-being of their team, good at communication, or have a vision for products, while others are lacking. This has created confusion or frustration among employees about projects ("What are we doing? Why are we doing this?"). Sometimes management seems isolated, or lacks "big picture" thinking.

Advice to Senior Management – Open up to employees in general: become more inclusive, communicate strategies and goals, and ask for constructive feedback more often.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Garmin part-time for more than a year

Pros – Nice experience, nice expose, Just nice.

Cons – Underpay, overload of work load

Advice to Senior Management – Take care more to the freelancer, should have better arrangement

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend