ACCO Brands Reviews

Pros

Strong Brands, long term relationships with traditional customers. Going in the right direction to correct mistakes made in past leadership.

Cons

Don't feel there is a real direction for the company, don't know who they are. Aren't aware of opportunities that are avaliable. Look outside teh company first.

Pros

casual and easy access to top leadership
nice physical environment at headquarters
chance to get in at the bottom prior to a potential growth spurt

Cons

leadership risk averse to change
too many departments not accountable for some of their impacts on performance

Advice to Senior Management

let people know that taking risks is o.k. from the top to the bottom
if promotions are not possible at least move people around laterally

Pros

The Sales Management team is very dedicated to the sales force.

Cons

They trip over themselves trying to reinvent the way they do business

Pros

Very challenging work environment with very lean resources. Lots of opportunities to learn different technologies and systems. But you need to devote your personal time.

Cons

Burn yourself to the limits. ACCO tends to be lured towards oursourcing all the IT services. Efforts in the past have been a failure. It is must to keep a decent size team to make the oursourcing a success.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior management needs to recognize and reward employees who are really good. Currently it fails to recognize who is doing work.

Pros

Paycheck, Good Benefits
Some good people
Could be a good place

Cons

No Leadership, Lots of Debt, No Budgets, Constant circular reorganizations, No Strategy, Declining Markets

Advice to Senior Management

How to get beyond reacting

Pros

Bob Keller is a sound leader, with guts

Cons

More VP than directors . No clear direction for the future

Advice to Senior Management

Get one strategy and 1/2 the VPs

Pros

Moderately strong brands. Large portfolio

Cons

Do not communicate with consumer. Trade driven. Senior Mgmt not strategically focused.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in Brands

Pros

Lots of opportunity to learn

Cons

Large workloads and significant responsibility

Advice to Senior Management

Need more people

Pros

ACCO was serious about remaing competitive in the cut throat office products market place.

Cons

Rather than cut salaries and bonuses at the top they sent work to Mexico and Asia. Directors preference to surprise long term employees with layoffs rather than honor their many years of service.

Advice to Senior Management

There are many good hard working people there that deserve to be treated fairly. Show them that their long term service means something don't give it lip service.

Pros

Work was challenging
People at Manager level and below are trustworthy and committed to excelling to the best of their abilities

Cons

Senior Management seems disinterested in listening to knowledge and experience of those who have seen all the changes put in place over the years. Instead they seem to prefer to do it their way applying principles from vastly different businesses and expecting them to work there.
Too much cost cutting over the years took all the fat but all the meat and some of the bone as well!
Mr Keller and current direct staff seem honest and committed to improving the business but have had low to moderate success

Advice to Senior Management

Listen, Listen, Listen
Listen to the market, Listen to your people, Listen to your customers