Good place to work and grow but stingy with promotions and pay raises - Senior Principal Engineer Solar Turbines Employee Review

3.0
Jan 28, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance and company culture I are great. You can make great friends here. There is a fair bit of freedom at Solar to make each position your own and grow within it. There is a mentor system in place which is great and, in general, it is a fun and challenging place to work. Their “customer first” and “win the right way” approach to doing business is a winning formula as well.

Cons

Solar is very stingy with promotions and pay raises. They have in the past used a bell curve approach to giving out raises and promotions and, in general, it is based on years of experience even if you are a stellar performer. You'll get a lot of praise for going above and beyond but that doesn’t usually translate into similarly appropriate pay raises.

Explore other reviews about Solar Turbines

5.0
Jul 2, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great Culture, Good people, good experience

Cons

Any manufacturing place will have the typical downsides

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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