Akzo Nobel Worldwide Reviews

Pros

Provides a good work life balance and a good atmosphere to carve out your own spot in the organization. People are very friendly and work is not too stressful.

Cons

Not a well integrated company as just about all of the Business Units operate in a vacuum without interaction with others. Advancement traditionally has been slow since little cross company opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management

Speed up the integration of the business units and shared service environments. Create a talent mgmt pool which allows for people to gain experience across the company.

Pros

Most people where nice, just the mid and upper management where unprofessional.

Cons

A very unprofessional exit interview. I was told I should start a new career
by the head of HR. I just told him to proceed with the interview. I know now why he said that because my old boss is given me bad references, even if i don't use her as a reference, other companies ask if i worked with her (over 15 yrs.) She is the devil.

Advice to Senior Management

karma

Pros

benefits, people, salary, 401k, pension

Cons

lack of directions, lack of advancment

Advice to Senior Management

there's no silver bullet

Pros

innovation, car, city, policy, ethic

Cons

time, effort, stress, dutch, office

Pros

Good people to work with from all walks of life

Cons

Slow in embracing new technology within the organization.

Advice to Senior Management

Allow more freedom to experiment new methods for business development including new technology, communication, adn software applications.

Pros

Good work life balance
Self driven organization

Cons

Slow personal growth
Hierarchical and highly Bureaucracy

Advice to Senior Management

Be proactive
Create sense of urgency and meritocracy

Pros

Family and friendly working atmosphere

Cons

Lousy lady manager who did not know how to manage. Not leading by examples.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen more to your foot soldiers on the ground

Pros

Global leader, largest MNC in decoratives, Good global programs and task-forces, Opportunity to learn from colleagues, Strong brand, Big player in the market

Cons

Unequal recognition, no talent retention, very high attrition rate, more of talking and communicating, less of actions, poor people management and growth, internal politics, average pay

Advice to Senior Management

More transparency and better involvement of people from all backgrounds for the various programs available, implement uniform policies to all employees

Pros

Laid back work environment
Great pay
On site cafeteria

Cons

Upper management is disorganized at times

Pros

People, scope of work, decision making authority for US matters, the ability to move disciplines when a position would open up. Also, it was great to be working as a small subset of a large multinational company, which is how the US was situated. Enjoyed the longevity of many of the groups, not to mention the teamwork attitude towards each other.

Cons

A non US company makes it difficult to find career growth and leadership paths. Your position was often simply a go between with the head of research in the Netherlands. Although you know your market, it was not always recognized over in the Netherlands that you might have a better methodology for releasing a product in the United States of America.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize the US as a force to be considered. Let the thoughts of your workers here in the US make its way back to headquarters!