Baker Hughes Reviews in Houston, TX Area

Pros

Great coworkers, Good pay\Benefits, Interesting Work

Cons

This WAS a great place to work 2-3 years ago. The "OneBakerHughes" reorganization has changed that. The new and "improved" company structure is an absolute mess with management changes still occurring nearly weekly. In addition to that, there endless new VP's\Directors being hired on while at the same time we are told we cannot hire engineers to backfill positions where people were actually doing the work.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your employees and just consider that maybe BHI is headed down the wrong path.

Pros

I've always believed that the people and products are the companies most valuable assets.

Cons

Does not recognize or reward hard work.
And are losing allot of its top talent to competitors and customers because of this.

Advice to Senior Management

You reap what you sow.

Pros

There are some very nice people who work at Baker Hughes. There are a few extraordinary leaders, but not many. The benefits are good.

Cons

There is so much change, it is hard for people to really accomplish objectives before their job changes. Changes in direction are frequent, and without clear purpose.

Advice to Senior Management

Get to know your people. Study leadership skills. Read The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner and use the skills. Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Get to know your people.

Pros

Good pay and benefits plus the working conditions are are pretty good most of the time along with allowing time off for personal reasons.

Cons

Managers can get away with anything and HR backs them up unless they think they will lose in a lawsuit.

Advice to Senior Management

Get away from the good ole boy network and learn to treat your emplyees as a valuable commodity instead of trash

Pros

Location. Location. Location. Different cultures.

Cons

Constant change. Good ol' boy network.

Advice to Senior Management

Do what is right. I don't know how some mgrs can sleep at night.

Pros

Flex time allows some to work from home
People are helpful

Cons

Even though can work form home work load is not balanced
Get training in when you can, you never know when it will be cancelled/not approved
Communications
Lack of IT direction-outdated sw,
Lacking in communication from all management levels

Advice to Senior Management

Upgrade software and backend equipement so employees can complete their day to day work. Improve communication. How long does a re-org take? Seems like many people are still trying to figure that out.

Pros

Big organization with plenty of opportunities, good training, good benefit,

Cons

Some managers at research and development department lack sense on the importance for improving competitives of Baker Hughes as regarding technology development. Poor management skill about how to make best use of talent of their employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Talent is biggest asset for company

Pros

Nice compensation package
Good insurance options
Stock options
Pension plan
401K plan
Profit sharing bonus plan
Very nice benefits website

Cons

Some of their safety training in not needed for office workers and some of their safety presentations (such as hand safety) are just too gross to watch.

Advice to Senior Management

Give employees some warning about coming layoffs, and where appropriate allow some movement of people to open positions instead of just laying them off.

Pros

Big Company
Diverse personnel
Lots of trainings

Cons

Baker Hughes conducts massive layoffs. Would not recommend this company for employment

Advice to Senior Management

Please make balanced hiring desicions.

Pros

Overall the company has a top tier product portfolio, salaries lag slightly behind industry average but is compensated for with above average benefits. Also used to be a friendly and satisfying place to work.

Cons

The workforce lacks confidence in the company's executive team, although the board seems willing to stand by them (Schlumberger 88%, Halliburton 73%, Baker Hughes 50%). Executive team has been late to make acquisitions and lacked direction brand identity and product line strategy. Executive team is nervous of industry analysts and is notorious for mishandling earnings conference calls, often taking a defensive, reactive approach instead of telling the market specifically what it intends in terms of strategic direction. Since May 2009 the company has become obsessed with re-organization, moving from a focused (but not fully efficient) division structure, towards a more efficient geomarket structure. The danger of losing product line focus has become a reality, with certain lines losing significant share due to an imbalance and lack of representation in geomarket management. Through 2009 and 2010 the company essentially botched the acquisition of BJ Services, falling foul of the Department of Justice and being forced to divest much of the value of the acquisition. Meanwhile, major competitor Schlumberger had no such problem in its acquisition of Smith Industries despite obvious comparisons in the transaction. The company in notorious for being first to market with niche products, and slow to follow the mass appeal of the market. The company is also cumbersome and slow to react to clients in terms of manufacturing and production. Age demographics of its workforce is a major problem, with over half the work population within 10 years of retirement age. A culture of chronyism is very evident in its reoganizations, and turnover in younger personnel is high due to the blockade of mid to senior management. The company overcommunicates organizational announcements and frivolous achievements, further alienating an already demoralized workforce. Consultant firms consider the company extremely top-heavy, after a long precedent of workforce reduction from the bottom up.

Advice to Senior Management

Be fast followers with technology introduction, learn from the mistakes of pioneers and tweak portfolio for mass appeal. Learn to manage earnings conference calls proactively and assertively with regard to strategic direction of the company. Workforce is ailing and morale is very poor. If reductions are required, start with the glut of Directors and Senior Managers - there are too many high dollar layers between the executive team and the client interface.