Warning! Former Great Company Turned Toxic - Manager Solar Turbines Employee Review

1.0
Aug 8, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people. And the good ones are jumping ship as fast as possible, leaving the folks close to retirement and the people who can’t find a job anywhere else.

Cons

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking to fill one of the many job openings that have come up after a 50% increase in company resignations over the last few months. But first you should ask yourself why people are resigning left and right. I’ll tell you. - Pay continues to decline. Every year your 3% (typical) raise puts you 5% behind peers and inflation. Work 50-60 hour weeks? You’ll get 3.5%. Work “40” and do the bare minimum? 3%. Is that 0.5% worth it? Didn't think so. - The company will go after any and all business. Management is pushing an extremely expedited NPI schedule plus increasing volumes that are impossible to support due to the war in Ukraine and massive raw material shortages that have doubled lead time. As a result, they just grind on the supply chain and product groups. No recognition of the impossibility of the requests. Just pushing people to the breaking point. - Previous leadership panicked and laid off a bunch of people in 2020. This is most noticeable in support departments that are desperately needed and hugely understaffed (HR, recruiting, supply chain staff positions, engineering and technical roles). Now the work keeps getting spread on less people (with no pay increases) until that person can’t take it anymore and quits, and then the cycle repeats. - The only thing that matters at Solar is how likable you are. If you aren’t getting together for happy hours after work or you rubbed someone the wrong way years ago, you are screwed. Memories are long, and promo decisions are “cultural fit” decisions not data driven - Culture at the top is all drivers and dictatorial leadership styles. When the only tool they know how to use is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

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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