Passionate Employees, Tough Family Culture - Anonymous employee Polaris Employee Review

2.0
Jul 20, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Employees are extremely passionate - Opportunities to lead diverse projects - Respected as a leader within their industry - Pay, benefits, profit sharing are on par or better within Twin Cities area - Place an emphasis on innovation - Opportunities to advance if you fit the culture - Executive level training for D and C2 levels who have strong history of performance

Cons

- Quality of life outside of work is an after thought. The director within my department worked 5:30 am to 8 pm every night even with a family of 8 ... including most weekends - There really is no work / life balance within ORV. Time in your office chair is often more important than your total contributions - I was nervous to submit or take vacation even at a manager level within the company - Company does not place an emphasis on quality. They may say it, but speed to market is more important. Proven with 6 months warranties. Net Promoter Scores scores are great ... when you only benchmark 5 months of consumer ownership. - Many of the managers are in it for themselves. Gossip and butt kissing is the culture here. And at the manager level it's usually self serving to make it to another year of LTIP (stock payouts based on company performance).

Explore other reviews about Polaris

5.0
Jun 19, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company with terrific benefits. They listen to feedback, are transparent with communication and value your perspective to think as a business owner. Great work life balance

Cons

Depending on personal mobility, opportunities for advancement may be limited

2.0
Jun 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Well-known brand. Opportunities to work on visible initiatives. Strong experience if you are willing to take on more than your role formally reflects. Can be a fun place to work if you're young and willing to work long hours.

Cons

Chronic mismatch between responsibility and compensation. Employees can be under-leveled for the work they are actually doing, and high-performing employees may carry senior-level scope without equivalent title progression or pay. Although Polaris uses a 9-point performance scale, advancement does not appear to function as a true merit-based system. In practice, the number of top ratings and promotions available within a team seems constrained in advance, which undermines the purpose of performance differentiation. Employees can perform at a consistently high level for multiple years and still be passed over, not because of contribution or readiness, but because of budget limits, distribution targets, or informal rotation. Recognition and advancement do not always follow performance, and compensation can be materially misaligned with actual role scope and responsibility. In my experience, the institution protects process better than it protects people.

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