Pros
Hardworking, talented, and collaborative coworkers Opportunity for a variety of roles as a chemical engineer East Tennessee is a great area for families
Cons
The employee performance rating system (forced distribution) is significantly undermining the work culture. I have no problem with a common sense rating system and agree with rewarding better performers. The current performance rating system is flawed in many ways and needs to be replaced. Employee compensation has remained relatively flat in the last 5-10 years (always "benchmarked" to remain average or slightly below average). This is inconsistent with management goals to outperform other companies and relentlessly pursue record earnings. Too often, employee performance and promotions are judged based on who can talk well (sell themselves well). Supervisors need to be seek out peer feedback so they can accurately judge work performance. Senior management constantly talks about the value of Eastman's people, but labor reductions imply otherwise.