BAE Systems Electronics & Integrated Solutions Reviews

Pros

Some of the pros definitely include the benefits good- health, dental, vision, 401 K, Life Insurance. BAE is a good company to work for if you aren't put on a contract. Their intranet is helpful as well you can view your pay checks, apply for jobs within the company, and see what is happening with BAE. Email communication is sent almost daily to all BAE employees; it may or may not affect you.

Cons

I was very disappointed with my manager, it seemed as though he didn't want to see employees grow. I mean I should have ran the other way when he told me on the first day that there was no opportunity to grow! In addition to that I felt like I was underpaid tremendously for my work. I would say if you are going to work for BAE beware of working as a Contractor. All Contractors are over worked and underpaid. If you don't get a Project Manager that cares, your road will be long and hard.

Advice to Senior Management

I think that they should make an effort to check on contractors, perform evaluations on these Project Managers and listen to what the employees are saying!

Pros

Decent beneifts pkg at the time. Worked with many very smart and competant coworkers.

Cons

No way to progress in your career if you're not one of the "annointed". Review process allows for significant anonymous backstabbing & blame storming in times of declining defense bugets leading to a continuous number of ongoing RIFs.

Advice to Senior Management

Value the folks you have left standing there and find ways to support them instead of sucking the life out of their morale by constant RIFs and rumors of more RIFs..

Pros

Respected products
Exposure to important products and people

Cons

Poor Communication
Poor quality of life
No bonus or financial compensation for mid-low levels

Advice to Senior Management

bonus or financial compensation for mid-low levels

Pros

9/80 workweek. Every other Friday off. Interesting products. A lot of very talented people who really know a lot in their fields.

Cons

Management decisions are made at the Nashua, New Hampshire location. They call the shots. In each pay grade, the minimum and maximum salaries on average have a range of about 40k, so if your minimum salary is 30k and your maximum is 70k then your midrange salary would be 50k. The company now views the mid range as your maximum salary. (Where your salary should be). No more raises after that point. Maybe a bonus now and then if you do more than what is expected of you.
If you do exactly what is expected of you at your job, you are regarded as a "Crank Turner" by management and do not get a raise because you did not go "Above and beyond" the call of duty.
Layoffs happen frequently. About every 3-6 months. Sometimes a couple of people and sometimes a lot of people. They used to call it a "housecleaning", which originally got rid of the people that deserved to get laid off (referred to as dead wood) and then it changed to the people that were making good money. Imagine being with a company for 30 years and then they let you go and you are out there at age 55 trying to start your career over. Not too easy to find a job at that age.
They do have a "Boys club", so if you are one of the lucky few to be part of it, then you can move up in the company a bit, even if you don't do a lot of productive work.
They have incentive programs, where you can put in suggestions for improvements. The company will review these suggestions and if it is determined that your suggestion could potentially save the company money, you have the opportunity to get a free winter ice scraper for your car or a band aid holder box. As a reward, someone from Management will get an all expense paid trip (vacation) to a foreign country to accept the award for you. A new "Hampshire" program is now in place, so I'm not sure what to expect now. I'm hoping to get one of those hats that has the beer can holders on the sides.
Work is being taken away and sent to other locations. We are constantly reminded of how we should be thankful that we still have a job and that it is expensive to operate a business on Long Island. (So we don't expect too much as far as raises, Holiday parties, picnics etc., which we no longer receive).

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize the talent that you have, because if you don't, that talent will go somewhere else. With the direction that this place is going, I don't see the Greenlawn location being around 5 years from now.

Pros

The work was challenging and exciting. People were also good to work with. Benefits are just about average but still worth it.

Cons

It is a place where who you know works better for you then what you really know. It's a place where you better get inside the decision maker's circle or you will be left behind.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to do a better job evaluating the talent they have and want to retain for the long term competitiveness of the company.

Pros

Important mission and products provide some satisfaction

Cons

Benefits are disappearing and lay-offs are not thought out

Pros

Good pay and benefits. Diversity of projects. Ability to contribute towards the defense and security of our country.

Cons

The culture of politics were nearly unbearable. Many people have lasted at BAE by putting in the time and learning how to play the game. Unfortunately if you don't play the game by kissing up to the right people and adopting a protectionist attitude towards your work you will not survive. I have never seen so many people unwilling to help out a new hire and in some cases going out of their way to undermine your work to protect their own little world. Many of the managers I encountered were egomaniacs with very little respect towards the average worker on the floor. Quality is talked about as a priority but in reality very little effort is put forth to create a true Quality culture. The quality engineers were often derided and pushed aside for speaking up about their quality concerns.

Advice to Senior Management

Allow employees to speak up without fear of reprisals. Sure there are ethics hot-lines and policies of "if you see something, say something" but the reality is that people who do speak up seem to quietly disappear. Why? Random anonymous solicitation for employee feedback is a great way to keep managers honest. There is no mechanism for employees to review the management structure without bringing attention to themselves and becoming a vulnerable target in a very shaky job market. As a result, most employees keep their mouths shut only to witness management execute poor judgment in the handling of projects and personnel.

Pros

Operations group has opportunities to learn multiple types of jobs. Management involves employees in solutions.

Cons

Engineering centric thought process does not allow for balance when it comes to valuing the other functions. Eng as king does not allow best utilization of talent in other functions.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep involving and informing employees in decision making

Pros

Great Pay no stock options

Cons

Big Job winning business, sometimes out of your control

Advice to Senior Management

More downward info on layoffs

Pros

Descent pay, good vision and dental insurance. Company matching for 401(k). Support the war fighter. enjoyable co workers in many departments.

Cons

Top heavy management. You are a number not a person. Corporate culture is currently one where layoffs are the norm and little is communicated down the chain. Each facility location has it's own culture as well and needs to be treated as a separate entity in some ways.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your employees like people who are deeply affected by each and every decision you make. Cutting jobs/benefits on one hand while making money hand over fist with the other is demoralizing to employees and also counter to my own ethical/moral beliefs.