Sr. Manager At Solar Turbines - Senior Manager Solar Turbines Employee Review

1.0
Mar 23, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good work/life balance. Still a place where people can spend their entire career at (if you're OK with the constantly worsening compensation package)

Cons

Culture promotes cohesion over everything. This means that nearly identical raises are given to people who do the absolute minimum and the highest performers. This is done to keep everyone "happy". Company states that it pays in the 75th percentile (without sharing any of the data with its employees) and deceptively includes "at risk" pay (incentive compensation) as part of this baseline. Executive management have tied managers' hands from giving out large raises to high performers, and made it so that most new employees are unable to advance in the salary grade and are constantly near the bottom of their salary grade. Company is slow to adapt to market opportunities, and is conservative to a fault. Most of the highest performers have left for better opportunities, as the pay structure is a give and take (in order to give more to one employee, you are required to take from another employee). In order to keep everyone happy (which is the most important Solar value), despite discouraging high potential/higher performer employees, managers tend to give nearly identical raises to all their direct reports regardless of ability and potential.

Explore other reviews about Solar Turbines

5.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great training programs and coworkers.

Cons

Paychecks were once a month which was strange.

1
3.0
Jun 22, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Strong benefits package: Holiday shutdown, competitive perks, and the advantages that come with being part of a large, well‑resourced company. - Paid parental leave (new): 16 weeks of paid leave, which is better than many companies in the industry. - Good healthcare options: Solid medical, dental, and vision coverage at a reasonable cost. - Annual bonus structure: Predictable and appreciated yearly bonuses. - Beautiful office + great people: The day‑to‑day coworkers are talented, fun, and genuinely supportive

Cons

- Extremely corporate culture: The company feels increasingly focused on pleasing shareholders and the board rather than supporting employees. - Loss of autonomy + heavy oversight: What used to feel like an independent, empowered environment now feels like “Caterpillar 2.0.” Badge tracking, VPN monitoring, and manager “hit lists” create a sense of surveillance. - DEI rollback: Programs that once had meaning have been stripped down to generic, checkbox versions. - ERGs restricted: Employee resource groups used to be vibrant and employee‑led; now they feel controlled, sanitized, and performative. - Rigid return‑to‑office policy: Leadership advertises “flexibility,” but employees are told that not being in the office 5 days a week, 8 hours a day will negatively impact performance evaluations - Slow, approval‑heavy processes: Even simple decisions require layers of approval, which slows down work and kills creativity. - Double standards: Senior leadership enjoys freedom and exceptions while rank‑and‑file employees are monitored like children. - Structure: People are encouraged to move around to get experience. While this may be a good thing for some people it essentially means you don't get rewarded by being a subject matter expert - you get stuck at the same salary grade for your entire career. It also means managers are frequently in a "step" position so they don't have the time or care to learn their actual job.

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