SISU Reviews

4.4

76% would recommend to a friend

(23 total reviews)

Russell Aldridge

84% approve of CEO

75% positive business outlook

SISU has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 23 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The SISU employee rating is 27% above average for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

23 reviews
2.0
22 Oct 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you want to do robotics and have your hands in every aspect from mechanical to electrical to software, this is a place to do it, but the pros end there, unfortunately.

Cons

From my experience there was a lot to dislike about SISU as a non-male, non-religious systems engineer and I very much struggled with the culture. I would estimate that during 70% of my time at SISU, not a single person would say even "Hi" to me over the course of the day. Most of the engineers were set on coming to work to work and socializing was not necessary. They would rather come to work to get their job done and spend their socialization time (including lunches) with their wives and children. This resulted in many lunches eaten in silence despite others eating next to me. In general, there was lack of camaraderie amongst my coworkers. But for full transparency, we were able to work well together when discussing our collective projects. Once a week the company comes together for an office-wide lunch which sounds all well and good, if it wasn't filled with a lot of awkward silence. To start the lunch a Christian-based prayer would be said. As someone who does not share these beliefs, I found the practice in this day and age rather unusual. I voiced my concerns and was given the choice to sit that part of the lunches out which made for some very awkward mid-lunch entrances and looking in from an adjacent window to time it properly. To management's credit, they were open to receiving the criticism, but I would estimate that 80% of the engineers were Mormon (~12 total), so they weren't keen on ending the practice outright. And because of this, don't expect any office parties with local craft beers. It being a small company you would expect it to be a bit more transparent with regards to the financials, but it never was. We would receive vague, "we are doing well" and "we have projects in the pipeline" without any clear understanding of our profit margins. Also, at the time you were unable to get 401K until you had been there a year which was a major disappointment. And, in general, I did truly struggle with being a woman there having to endure some very awkward interactions with some people. There was a volunteering event which my husband joined me on and my coworkers chose to engage him in casual conversation but not me. And, as a small anecdote, I had the owner my first week there look at me eating a hamburger with shock and say, "You eat meat. I'm not used to women eating meat because my wife is a vegetarian." I didn't know how to begin to reply to that. Do you not know any women besides your wife? Maybe get out more? What an odd thing to say... Just talk to me like I’m a normal human being because I am. As an aside, I have had 2 other full-time job and 3 previous internships in my career and have never had trouble making friends at work. This may be an outlier, but I doubt it.

avatar
SISU Response
7y
We appreciate the point of view expressed by this former employee, whose comments prompted us to find ways to be more sensitive to people on our team. We wish this former employee all the best in her future employment. While there is definitely another side to the story, it saddens me that she felt lonely at work. I take responsibility for making sure our employees know how much they are valued and appreciated. This individual joined Sisu as we were growing quickly, hiring new people, and working out of trailers while our building was being renovated. We were still forming relationships and building traditions. We appreciate the patience of our wonderful employees during this time. We have made significant gains in transparency and hold a meeting quarterly where we provide a financial update and talk about current projects, future projects, and hiring. We field any questions and recognize individuals who have excelled in the company. Employees are invited to visit with us privately at any time with questions or concerns. We do have a prayer or a moment of expressing gratitude at Sisu. Once a week, the employees gather for a company provided meal, and a prayer, a moment of silence, or some other expression of gratitude is offered on the food. Such an expression, which may be offered by any employee, is not religion-specific and can be offered by anyone regardless of their belief or nonbelief in a higher power. We have members of many different faiths as well as employees with no religious affiliation at all. Everyone is welcome. Employees do not have to join the group for lunch. Those who wish to eat together may join before or after the prayer. No one is compelled, but everyone is invited. No business or personnel decisions are made based on the participation or lack of participation in the prayer or the lunch. Reasonable accommodations are provided for those who do not wish to participate in the lunches or in any part of them. This policy is set forth in our employee handbook. As for not holding many after-hours activities, this is certainly true. Our philosophy is different from that found in many other companies. We strive to minimize the time individuals spend away from their homes, friends, families, and personal lives. Working long hours at Sisu is rare. Employees are welcome to self-organize after-hours groups as they wish, but the company does not take the lead. Even so, we care about serving our communities and taking a break from all the work to have some fun. Below is a description of our annual activity schedule: • Anniversary party (May): BBQ for all employees, their families, and significant others. • Summer service project (summer or fall): Sisu has sent teams to flood-ravaged areas to assist with cleanup. Given the dire need of our Texas neighbors, these service opportunities have taken place almost every year for the past several years. • Team-building activity (October or November): We hold an annual off-site activity for all employees. Activities have been held at K1 Racing, Driveway Austin, Boating on Lake Austin, and Escapology. • Christmas-season service project (December): Sisu employees join together to participate in Blue or Brown Santa to wrap presents for families in need. • Company Christmas party (December): This is for Sisu employees and their “plus one.” I hope this helps answer some of the issues raised in this review. There are always opportunities for any company to learn and improve. At Sisu, we strive to take great care of our people. And every so often we come up with some pretty good ideas for industrial robots, too.
5.0
2 Nov 2018

Engaging and Enjoyable Environment

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Sisu provides an environment where you feel valued and appreciated. The work is interesting and requires you to be flexible in your daily work routine, and they are very generous in terms of health insurance and benefits.

Cons

Nothing to complain about here.

5.0
1 Nov 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Team-oriented, horizontal organization that is progressive and looking for ways to grow and develop young professionals

Cons

Growing pains associated with a new company

Viewing 1 - 3 of 23 Reviews

Glassdoor has 27 SISU reviews submitted anonymously by SISU employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if SISU is right for you.