Limited Career Growth - IT Supervisor Solar Turbines Employee Review

2.0
8 Dec 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Company culture. The people at Solar genuinely care for each other. Successful company. Many years of great results. Stability. The company values employees.

Cons

Lack of accountability. Although there is much talk at Solar and especially from their parent company, Caterpillar, about accountability, that just isn't the case here. Lack of leadership. Due to the lack of accountability, leaders don't actually have to lead. They aren't given metrics or any benchmarks they and their teams must meet. Lack of engagement. Because of the items listed above, many employees are unengaged. They show up to work, due the minimum necessary to get through the day, and leave. Lack of career growth. Because there is very little movement at the upper management level, once you get to middle management, your career at Solar is finished. You may sit and wait at this level for 5 or even 10 + years for someone to retire above you.

Explore other reviews about Solar Turbines

5.0
2 Jul 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
22 Jun 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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