Canon USA Reviews

Pros

Relatively steady 9-5 environment - the place is a ghost town after 5:30pm aside from management transfers from Canon Inc.
Canon takes true pride in its products and one can learn a lot about that pride in a short time.
Job stability - Canon does not like to lay off anyone though they will not hesitate to fire those low-level under-performers.

Cons

I was promoted twice, right on schedule, but I would still say that promotion opportunities are few and far between. Senior management consists of those that have been there for 20+ years, regardless of ability or competence.
Middle management has a few bright spots, but is heavily burdened with 5-10 year folks who have figured out how to game the system, doing as little as possible and waiting for their checks every two weeks.
Training and leadership development offered is mediocre at best.
Pay is lower than industry average and this is widely known throughout the company, so morale suffers.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in your resources that show potential rather than hinder them for self-preservational purposes. Product quality and leadership can only carry the company so far. At some point, you will need to start developing people to advance against competition

Pros

Mediocre pay for Americans. First-class treatment for the Japanese. Nice building with a nice cafeteria (decent food). Friendly security guards, clean bathrooms and meeting rooms.

Cons

If you are Japanese, you will succeed. If you are anything but, you will not be treated equally. Americans are never recognized for hard work, only the Japanese. Must take a 3-day class on "how to work with the Japanese" before you begin. Work ethic is beyond belief -- work long hours with no compensation or recognition.

Advice to Senior Management

Someone needs to analyze management practices at this company. It's a total cover up how this company operates.

Pros

Great products with good opportunity to gain experience. At the beginning of your career you will be given excellent opportunity to learn about the company and it's many products.

Cons

Very difficult to advance as management is afraid to promote strong people. As you stay with the company you will notice that advancement becomes more difficult.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote people with the goal that they can replace you. By doing that you guarantee that you keep the best talent within the company. If they do replace you then you did a good job and should be rewarded with your own promotion.

Pros

Well Known and High Tech Company

Cons

Slow in making deceision influenced by Canon Inc in Japan

Advice to Senior Management

Have long term strategy and reduce the number of expats from Japan.

Pros

The staff at Canon, USA is friendly. It is a very professional environment with a great dining area -- all the Japanese food you could hope for!

I worked on some moderately interesting projects and was able to interact with a few senior managers and a number of Account Executives.

Cons

I worked as a college intern for Canon, USA. I had worked two other internships before this and was paid far more at those jobs. The pay is not so great here and HQ is located in a pricey area on Long Island.

Also, communication seems to be lacking in the ranks and among the different departments. Senior leaders of the company are especially inaccessible.

Advice to Senior Management

You could be more accessible and could facilitate more discussion between the various departments. Compensation should be higher.

Pros

The people are wonderful to work with. They work hard yet they are very friendly. There is a sense of community.

Cons

It appears that management only hires from Japan. Possibly not a good place to work if you expect to move up the ranks.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should be more proactive in hiring non Japanese workers. There is a sense of a glass wall in the company.

Pros

New HQ is being built and should be a very nice place to work. Things are looking bright in the future.

Cons

Management takes a very long term view of things which sometimes makes for frustratingly slow changes in the short term.

Advice to Senior Management

Power is too centralized. Please give more authority to lower and mid level management so that they can effectuate positive change.

Pros

At least in my department, my performance is recognized and appreciated, and, to some extent, rewarded. Benefits are reasonable and my coworkers are mostly competent.

Cons

The current headquarters building is outdated. Promotions frequently come with a title bump but not a salary bump - more likely an increase equivalent to a good raise.

Advice to Senior Management

Make a stronger effort to retain quality employees and encourage longevity. It has to be more affordable to reward high performers and incent them to stay than to constantly hire from outside.

Pros

Co-workers are easy to get along with. Learning about new products and technology. Making a impact with the dealers and service technicians.

Cons

Main problem is lack of communication with managment and with other departments when working on projects. Management does not reward employees for there effort and contributions. Company is building an new state of the art headquaters, but not sure how many of the current employees will get to see it due to the recent re-structuring of the company and numerous lay offs.

Advice to Senior Management

Reward and acknowledge employees for a job well done to retain them and boost morale or else they will become disgusted and leave.

Pros

Absolute 9 to 5 job. No stress. No pressure. No accountability.

Cons

No direction. No management leadership. No motivation. No communication.

Advice to Senior Management

Take closer look at people, operation, process, policy, etc. and implement changes in accordance to the rest of the world.