Pros

The workload can get very comfortable after you know how things work in this company.
If you are employed professionally the perks and salary can be attractive where you can expect to be paid above market rate, however if you joined them fresh out of university, the salary growth is definitely a down-side.

Cons

If you are thinking of a challenging job where you can look forward to going office everyday, you might as well look elsewhere.
You can openly sense the distaste in employees attitudes when it comes to senior management driven projects... and there are plenty of top-down projects where middle managers just play along for the sake of not sticking out like a sore thumb

Advice to Senior Management

BASF needs to start to think about harnessing the power of decentralization

Pros

A very good company to work for. Shows consideration for employees and has a very flexible working policy. Proud of its enviable sustainability record and continues to build upon it. Good pay and conditions, nice working environment.

Cons

All of the above can vary between business units and managers. German colleagues with the right background can fast track in a way others cannot.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognise the value of social networking and invest more in these trends.

Pros

Good job security, fair chances to secure funding for projects, genuine interest in future of company at most staff levels, realistic expectations of work loads.

Cons

Inflexible work attitudes, highly ethnocentric (male-German) perspectives, surprising tolerance for superficial platitudes ("managerese"), poor support for career changers in most departments. Uninspiring and often unprofessional management style. No genuine interest in real further education for staff. Arrogant #1 attitude in many departments. Very old fashioned company culture. Ridiculously fickle bonus system.

Advice to Senior Management

Fresh blood is desperately needed here: employ some professional managers, ie not simply ex-researchers who couldn't cut it in research. Drop the Mao-esque "hurrah" campaigns (zukunftspakt forschung/sicherheit etc). Institute a genuine system for staff promotion, career change and proper further education (ie no more "learn commerce in 3 days" seminars). Increase basic wages but decrease the yearly bonus and make it far more variable and performance dependent. Reform the betriebsrat system (a german perversion) and reducate people against the "us and them" system (a German wide problem, "us"=non-uni educated "them"=uni-educated). Big step: drop the formality, its 2008 not 1908.........

Pros

Largest chemical company in the world, with the most reach in the market place. Proud to work for a strong company that is into everything and well recognized. BASF is a good company compared to many others to want to work for. Benifits are very good and the management is very smart at the highest levels. Middle management at the Director level needs improvement since there are some individuals that should not be there, most note is in Detroit Automotive. Managers at the field level are excellent. Working for BASF is really an honor since they do care and want the best for employees if they can do it.

Cons

Eurpoean company, favor towards Germans and others over USA employees for advancement or jobs over seas.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more proactive in reaching our towards employees, those in the field need to be heard and seen more than those in corporate offices working.

Pros

Convient location in RTP makes commuting easy. Offers chance for alternative transportation with bus and carpooling options for employees. On site shower facilities allow employees to bike to and from work. Management concerned with giving recognition and feedback appropriately. Flexible hours allows much freedom in the work day provided that work gets done before deadlines.

Cons

Unfair and restrictive environment to work in. Generally unfriendly co-workers. Crowded lab space and bureaucratic procedures to pass information to management. Additionally, political correct charged environment which hinders free thinking and promotes a "one way" mentality. Favoritism is often shown between managers and employees. Internal power struggle with certain age groups of employees as well.

Advice to Senior Management

Change the workplace environment and address teamwork and cooperation between employees.