GE Power FAQ

Name on resume (but as the company does worse, it means less and less), travel

Lower than market average salary (10-20%). Poor training (empty promises made in the interview). If you had to travel to the client site, they would make you stay weekends and you will not be compensated for being away from home on the weekend (if you aren't working, which is 50% of the time). So you will be away from home, in a hotel room, (usually in the middle of nowhere, so not much to explore), without being paid. They tried to minimize how often you could go home even though most companies that require heavy travel try their absolute best to get you home for the weekend. Health insurance is poor and they make it worse every few years. Managers are stuck in an old-school era of management that doesn't promote a fun, collaborative workspace that encourages innovation. Faced a lot of toxic coworkers/managers... shockingly a lot. It's evident that employees only care about themselves and there's no passion for technology and improving on everyone's experience. This is evident by everyone leaving GE. While I was there, almost every week someone left GE. I saw some people leave within months of being hired. Overall, it was a horrible experience and I'm so happy to have finally moved on. It sad to see such a strong brand focus so much on the bottom line they forgot how to take care of their employees.

They aren't going to listen, while I was at GE they asked for employee surveys on how they can make the business better... I was honest and very detailed in every one... nothing changed. With the few non-toxic coworkers I befriended (all who agreed with my sentiments), most of them ended up leaving (in one way or another). If they even read this my advice would be - Fire a lot of middle management (even senior management). Start with more passionate individuals who actually care about the vision and about the employees. Fix the culture, the culture is worse than one you'll find in hell. The offices I have been to remind me of a jail (I'm serious). Tall grey cubicles surrounded by grey walls... no one socializing and no one smiling. Pay your employees AT LEAST market average for the role, improve on the benefits (instead of making them worse), and put your team first instead of the bottom line. There's a reason why the best companies in the world today focus so much on employee happiness - it leads to a better bottom line. Stop being old school - just because GE's old strategy was successful, that doesn't mean it's successful now (newsflash, it's not).

Work/Life balance and benefits are great. Unlimited vacation is a great benefit, use it wisely. Interesting projects and challenges which will take you places.

People. Egos are increasingly difficult to manage depending on groups. Lots of bureaucracy and mindset of the past.

Management needs to have vision and a reality check. We are no longer in a 2001 Power bubble and need to understand that improving the business starts by improving the dynamics of each individual team.

Good pay, decent benefits, great 401k match...compensation was top notch in manufacturing field. Hard to do better

As a manager working with the deep rooted union teamsters could prove a major pita most of the time. Higher managers failed to back front line managers with disciplinary actions which undermined our authority.

Back your managers and supervisors instead of backdoor catering to union employees who milk the system . Praise the good ones and the teamsters reps will play along.

Permissive leave and many additional benefits

Overwhelming work load and long hours