Caterpillar Reviews

Pros

This is a huge company and offers comparable benefits to its competitors. Strong integrity and mid-western values. Growth even during recession. Senior leaders are always homegrown, but that is part of Cat's problem...there's no new blood.

Cons

This is a huge ship and it takes a LONG time to turn it around. VERY mid-western in its values and culture -- good 'ole white boys at the top. Human resources policy , including compensation and benefit philosophy, is not leading edge...not even really 21st century. There's a great deal on innovation at the product level, but don't expect Cat to take any risks when it comes to people or HR policy. Strictly "market competitive"

Advice to Senior Management

Apply the same risk taking you promote for product development to people policy and HR budgets. Be a leader in people development/compensation, too.

Pros

Stability, pinnacle of the areas where it is the dominant employer, growing company with a strong future, sales strong overseas.

Cons

Things have changed markedly since downturn. Varies from business unit to business unit, some business units still look at employees as people, others see them as resources to be shuffled and cut as needed.

Advice to Senior Management

The employee experience varies widely based on the business unit you work in. In my business unit the middle and upper management are largely viewed as an elite group that does not care much for the common worker.

Pros

The network within Caterpillar is astounding! If you have any questions about virtually anything, someone is always available to help; all you have to do it ask. There are a lot of opportunities within this company, so make your own destiny!

Cons

Advancement into management within Caterpillar seems to take a little longer than I am comfortable with.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the great work! It is a great company with a great system to support the professional growth of all employees.

Pros

Good comradery with some collegues
Good pay
Still some good people around
Values in Action principle
Talent Management System system
Employee Opinion Survey system

Cons

Where do I start?
Incompetent Management
Promotions that just make you shake your head, because they are incompetent non-performers
Nepotism
Slow decision making
Its all about who you know and if you are 'in the club'
Values in Action implementation
Talent Management System is not used
Employee Opinion Survey does not drive any tangible action
Performance Appraisal System means nothing
They preach "the best management training is leaders teaching other leaders" - i.e. CAT has no budget for proper management training
CAT does not deal with poor performance. You can laze around doing nothing or being imcompetent and nothing happens
No real diversity after a certain level of management.
Good people are leaving one by one
In most areas, less than 25% of the people generate 75% of the results. The rest generate hot air.
No investment in product because they waste it. The competition is leaving CAT behind more and more
Decision by committee instead of by experience
Its getting worse not better!

Advice to Senior Management

Weed out the bad managers - do there things and the ship will turn:
1. From top down, set measureable targets for each manager. Doug tried it, but its not trickling down enough. HAMMER it in. Use independent auditors to review results yearly.
2. Mandate use of Talent Management System by doing independent auditors. Make failing one of this audits disciplinary action against a supervisor. This will isolate the 'good old boys' clubs and favoritism.
3. Use Employee Opinion Survey to weed out the poor managers and deal with them.

Pros

It is a big company to work with, it has various product lines, and manufacturing facilities all over the world.

Cons

There are so many meaningless meetings.

Pros

Caterpillar Global Mining (former Bucyrus Int'l)
Mining Industry and company are stable
Pay / Benefits are average to above average.
Work life balance is favorable.
Interesting Products, huge machines, lots of company history in South Milwaukee.
Milwaukee and surrounding area is a pretty nice place to live; Milwaukee suburbs and SE Wisconsin in general are diverse and have alot to offer.

Cons

Organization can be an Old boys club with your opportunities limited by favorable or unfavorable status with certain management - favoritism typical of old school companies is hard to lose.

Communication (top down) within the company can be poor, with some management bordering on unprofessional, yet some are really pretty good.

Most of the company are still of a very conservative mindset. Other parts are driven by innovation - which results in some dysfunction. Dysfunction also due to recent history of acquisitions - Bucyrus acquires DBT and Terex, CAT acquires Bucyrus...has been messy.

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate more openly.

Mentor, develop, and cultivate people - stop the favoritism that remains in the organization. Further this by downsizing and / or improving mid-upper management.

Engage customers of large mining equipment more frequently - communicate the feedback through lower levels quickly.

Pros

The work atmosphere is great. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Mentors were mostly former co-ops so they understood the importance of communication with their co-ops.

Cons

Because I was an employee of Bucyrus, the initial struggles during the acquisition were slightly challenging. Other than that I have no complaints.

Pros

1. There is the ability to move from the shop floor to the offices.
2. Tuition reimbursment
3. Ability to move within the company
4. Health care

Cons

1. The pay is less than equivilent jobs at similar companies
2. Forced overtime no matter if you are a shop employee or a salaried employee. Several supervisors don't get days off for months at a time
3. Lack of communication between upper management and middle management
4. Improvement projects not being completed

Advice to Senior Management

It would be good for the management to have better communication with employees on issues that have long term affects on the company.

Pros

- Steady income (If you want to maintain a standard of living)
- Steady work
- 401k plan
- Medical
- Dental

Cons

Career advancement only goes to favorites. Those that do the work are kept in place so supervisors can look good to their bosses. You can work as much or as little as you like but the reward is always the same. Almost every year something is reduced or taken away from benefits. Caterpillar was sold to me originally as being above the rest in wages and benefits. Now we are the with the rest as pay and benefits lag behind.

Advice to Senior Management

Managers are usually looking out for number 1. Getting the job done is not important. How you sell the work done to upper management is important.

Pros

Leadership makes good long term decisions to position Caterpillar as a strong world wide competitor. Caterpillar is a large exporter from the US providing a net positive trade for the US. Pay is fair to more desirable that equivalent opportunities.

Cons

Only down side is the level of expectations and work loads are higher that similar engineering opportunities. But rewards and compensation are provided when these high expectations are achieved.

Advice to Senior Management

There is a lack of synergy among all of the different divisions and groups in terms of tools, reporting, and procedures. This causes a lot of overlap and redundancy that hurts SG&I efficiency.