Norfolk Southern Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Norfolk Southern

Pros – The benefits were great and far more than comparable positions in industry. Also, compensation was very comfortable. Very structured format and work was cut out for you.

Cons – The workplace environment was very banal and did not support open feedback and communication. Hierarchical structure of the positions made it a very intimidating environment.

Advice to Senior Management – Upper management should allow feedback from employees. Also, work environment is unnecessarily strict as far as dress code and appearance.

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – 1. pay is decent
2. benefits are great
3. having a pension ain't bad either
4. sometimes you're doing nothing at work, but still getting paid ... "hurry up and wait" has it's benefits!
5. they know how to make money ... which eventually makes it's way down to employees and not just VP's

Cons – 1. the management practices need to hurry up and make it to the 21st century
2. they "know" who they're going to promote before the "so called" interviews begin, so don't think you're going to get promoted from within without knowing the right people
3. they call themselves "railroaders" and their serious about it! It's a culture that they try to force on you ... whether you agree with the characteristics of the culture or not!

The term I hate most - "Well, this is the railroad ... "

4. They work the crap out of you ... trust me, if you're getting paid well they're going to work you to the point where you feel severely underpaid.
5. Also, depending on what your position is and where you work the work-life balance can be a challenge.

Advice to Senior Management – Will you extra old guys please retire already. You guys will literally work on the railroad until you die!

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – The best thing you'll get out of being at NS is the benefits.

Cons – Long days and being on call 24/7

Advice to Senior Management – Remember who is moving the freight to get you the bonuses you all like so much.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – NS offers a very stable work environment. Stealing or lying will get you fired, but little else will. Benefits are solid. The management training program was rated as one of the 50 best in the US and gives you a good view of the company as a whole. Pay can be extremely rewarding in the later years, minimal at entry level. Yearly profit sharing bonuses. More than 50% of the employees are nearing retirement which means many opportunities for newer employees. A couple corporate retreats are very nice.

Cons – NS is used to the past. In the past you went to work somewhere and committed for the rest of your working years. If you come ready to commit, both to NS and yourself, to 30 years, then you can kick butt. Otherwise, its not for you. Most young employees today arent ready for that. The culture is also reluctant to any type of changes and typically always favors the "way things have always been done." This can be discouraging. Lastly, if you end up with a senior manager who has been around forever and has a "rough, work you to the bone, you kids dont know the first thing about hard work" attitude, good luck. They have been around forever and no one will get rid of them, no matter how poor their management skills are.

Advice to Senior Management – Break out of that traditional mindset and start to benchmark with some of the companies that are attracting, and retaining, new and bright talent. Take a hard look at salaries and realize that just a little more to newer employees would really mean alot. An extra 10K to a new employee could mean the world and, when subtracted from those more senior, would be merely a drop in the bucket. Lastly, abandon Norfolk and move to Atlanta, most people hate Norfolk. I know that last one is nearly impossible, but we can dream!

Former Employee – worked at Norfolk Southern

Pros – Very strong company financially. Consistently challenging from day to day. The senior management is the best business minds in the country as far as running a railroad.

Cons – Railroad operations run 24/7/365 and need employees to do it. Most operational jobs with NS are nontraditional hours so any prospective employee should be aware of this.

Advice to Senior Management – Since the non-management positions are union, the one of the most difficult position is a junior manager. You will be the work horse, but suck it up. If you perform, you won't be in that position long.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – The people within the company are wonderful to work with. The working conditions are overall very good as well as the benefits.

Cons – Sometimes it may seem that if you're not in 'the clique' then you're not in; you need to be in to be recognized or considered for advancement. There are a lot of politics played and you may have to learn how to play them just to get along.

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to your people and continue to have an open mind as to what they have to say. Change is inevitable if we are to continue to be a successful transportation company.

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – The pay is wonderful, hours are great, location is great. For the most part it is a stable job with great pay and excellent benefits. If you can make it through the tough hours and demanding jobs, then you will be happy at the railroad. Senior management really looks at the "whole picture" and does what is best for the company.

Cons – It is hard to be promoted once you are an employee of the company. If you have children or a family it is hard to work at the railroad because there is a lot of overtime and it is shift work. SOmetimes you can be forced to work up to 16 hours a day which can make home life complicated.

Advice to Senior Management – Look at the employees that already work for the company and the skills and assets they bring with them.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – Stability, compensation, career growth and advancement, interesting, challenging and changing tasks. NS offers it's managers the opportunity to step out from behind the curtain of anonimity and shine. Those leaders who perform well while demonstrating respect, integrity, teamwork and are open to innovative ideas will quickly move to the front of the pack. NS offers opportunities at all levels regardless of ecucation. Short of attaining the executive level (where Wall Street expects a pedigree), those with nothing more than a high school education wil find no "glass ceiling".

Cons – There are not a lot of downsides, though NS attracts self starters who are willing to go the extra mile to acomplish a goal or meet a challenge. Those not making the grade will find many faults with NS, though they would with almost any employer short of McDonalds.

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to focus on improved communication and invest in technology.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – Working at Norfolk Southern provides good job security and good benefits. Retirement benefits are very good and include company paid pension, along with railroad retirement. There is also a 401K plan in which the company contributes up to 3% of your salary.

Cons – My job location is stable, but many employees are subject to be moved fairly often. One person I know was moved 11 times in 22 years, and not all of them were voluntary. Norfolk Southern says that it's salaries rank at the 75th percentile when compared to similar jobs at other companies. There is no evidence of this in my department. Our salaries rank at around the 50th percentile.

Advice to Senior Management – Get that stock price up.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Norfolk Southern

Pros – Attrition due to retirement is very high right now. This creates an environment where you can move quickly up the ladder if you can put forth the effort.

Cons – Long hours, lack of holidays.

Advice to Senior Management – Quality of life needs to be improved.