Cree Reviews

Pros

Health benefits and contribution to 401K are good

Cons

Raises and Feedback from Management

Advice to Senior Management

More time spent on career development

Pros

Great people to work with, a great team environment, good pay, good benefits, very flat level organization, minimal micromanagement, overall great company

Cons

There is not very much room for advancement within the company, the divisions are very small and opportunities to advance are limited.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote based on performance and make positions for people that do well in the company and that you want to stay with Cree.

Pros

Free gym, casual dress code, decent salary, benefits

Cons

If you're an exempt employee (me), expect to work long hours >45hr/week. When I worked there, I found it very difficult to strike a healthy balance between life and work. I left that job because of the managements unrealistic working hours.

Advice to Senior Management

Make an effort to improve employee retention rates.

Pros

Very exciting technology in a fast growing markets with many interesting end applications to service.

Cons

Generally lower base pay then industry counter-parts, which is no longer off-set by pay in stock options.

Advice to Senior Management

Even in the current economic climate offering competitive compensation is the best way to retain talent. Look at ways to offer higher pay that is more directly linked to individual performance, not just company wide targets.

Pros

There's a free gym, casual dress code, engineering work is not at all intellectually difficult, and good health insurance is offered.

Cons

Cree can be summed up by one of its core values: do whatever it takes to get the job done, whether it takes your life, marriage, etc. Cree seems to have all of the responsibility of a startup, and all of the perks of a large company.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop measuring exempt employee performance by the number of hours worked (over 40/week). Let engineers have the freedom to implement measures that would help the company.

Pros

involved in direct research, able to talk with management frequently. good support and feedbacks. nice benifits and rewards at work

Cons

low salary, not too much hike in salary in the years ahead. Phds are mor respected and others are considered inferior or given less responsibilities

Advice to Senior Management

offer more freedom to employees and salaries should be base on location and not overall strucucture. nice job anyways to bring company in front

Pros

Offers a job in an emerging technology though times are tough right now for any high tech company. Living in the triangle is a great benefit because the cost of living is low. Casual dress code and easy commute from most areas of the triangle. Stock options but don't expect to move up in salary.

Cons

Expects 12+ hour days or you are perceived as uncommitted. Not innovative or encouraging when you want to "take a rick" and try something new. If it doesn't work you will be sorry so employees keep their heads down. Employee advancement/development is discouraged because you must be inside the building at all times working hard. Management does not feel like employees are part of the same team. The culture is more like an old time factory than a high tech operation. There is a lot of potential but the vibe is always negative and the corporate culture is that you are easily replaced. Even writing this review makes me nervous about retaliation.

Advice to Senior Management

Employees are not treated respectfully. Mid level managment is not empowered in any way to truly manage their areas.