Boart Longyear Reviews

Pros

Global workforce. Interesting environment. Focused employees and little goofing around.

Cons

Heavy workload. High expectations. Very cyclical industry leading to periodic need for layoffs.

Pros

Compensation is good
Benefits are competitive

Cons

No communication
Slave driven company, do not care about family
My husband died in an accident while working for BLY and they laid me off, but before I was laid off, I was willing to take a lower paying position just to save my benefits that I just lost under my husband and I was told no, most insensitive company to work, I'm glad for the glass door for people to review companies, I wish I knew about this before I accepted a position with BLY. I left a great company I worked for, for 8 years. I could kick myself everyday for working for BLY. I have people asking me if they would work there and the answer is absolutely NOT!!

Advice to Senior Management

Too many other good companies to work for besides BLY.

Pros

A truly international company

Those who stem from the drilling industry and have been with the company for a while are amongst the best in the business

Real "team work" environment created by high caliber coworkers and even customers (excluding senior management)

"Fun factor" is evident in local day to day work

Cons

Since going public, BLY has most certainly become a "hire and fire" company.

Everything is on a "need to know" basis

When times are more difficult you start looking over your shoulder and dread losing your job

No effort whatsoever is made to keep talented or experienced work force within the group

Every top level decision is taken with only a "short term" outlook in mind, even if the opposite is claimed

HR is out of tune with the business

Advice to Senior Management

Hire internationally orientated, experienced managers from the drilling business instead of expensive "theoretical motivational speakers"

Lead by example not fear

Listen to your people, don't ignore their existence

Make an effort to keep your talented and experienced staff within the group. (Is it a coincidence that many past BLY employees are working for your competitors and very successful in these companies at that?)

Pros

Team mates, friendships, attitude as if were the best at what we do..cuz we are.. HA! I enjoy the work outdoors, get a lot of vitamin D..work a lot get paid a lot...good attitudes

Cons

HA! Too many to list ;) ... but who cares? Oh ya.. people with bad attitudes... bad attitudes get lost... we're happy people cuz we want to be... and when going gets tough we laugh...

Advice to Senior Management

Boy would I tell you... if you would ask

Pros

Overworked and under-respected from the top down, but liked the people at the local level who act like a team and are pretty great.

Cons

Don't expect any loyalty or appreciation, no matter how hard you work. Hours are long, long long and the recognition is almost nil.

Advice to Senior Management

Take a few examples from the prior CEO and put the enjoyment back into working for BLY

Pros

Great Compensation
Nice Facilities (if you work in the headquarters)
Good people (pretty much as long as they're not in management)

Cons

Huge lack of communication
Poor Management
Strange HR practices
No way of knowing how you are doing in you job (no performance reviews)

Advice to Senior Management

Its best to keep communication open and honest. People want to know how they are doing and have a chance to improve if it isn't satisfactory. Suddenly laying off people without any warning is also not fair. Its best to just be honest with employees rather than beat around the bush or blatantly lie when there is a problem.

Pros

Strong leadership team, good salary and benefits, strong footprint. Really gave you the freedom to manager your business as you see fit.

Cons

Outside of corporate, you're left on your own to perform. Could have done a better job communicating restructure process before they consolidated.

Advice to Senior Management

I understand no one wants to communicate when a branch will be closed until it is done, but it's hard to leave people in the dark until the day of. The branches are so far apart in the U.S. that there is really no option to transfer unless you move 700 miles away.

Pros

Lots and lots of overtime make for good paychecks, decent 401k matching, great benefits package

Cons

Other companies pay substantially more for the same work.

Advice to Senior Management

Start respecting your employees and acknowledging the sacrifices they make for the company, we are not a dime a dozen.

Pros

Stable company, decent benefits, plenty of overtime if you want it.

Cons

Lack of communication when procedures and practices are changed. Out-lying offices don't receive same perks as corporate employees and are the last to know when a change has been instituted.

Advice to Senior Management

Corporate has too many chiefs....and not enough indians!!! Make sure all people are made aware of policy/procedure changes get to the out-lying areas. If corporate employees are offered free flu shots(or anything else)...then EVERYONE should have that perk..not just SLC employees. Drilling Services is making the bulk of the company's profits.....compensate accordingly!

Pros

benefits are good but thats it

Cons

have to be an ass kisser to move up in company not a hard worker atleast out of the peoria office.