Daktronics Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics full-time for less than a year

Pros – Good benefits, solid technology, good work-life balance for those who are living in the Brookings community, smart employees and good visibility of products in marketplace.

Cons – There are many good points for this company and I think that they make a great product. Like many organizations that are working through lean turn-arounds as they are seeking operational improvement. Like other new staff, I came in the doors excited and seeking to add value but quickly discouraged as I found a disingenuous and cynical working environment. Unfortunately, information was sometimes shirked or not clearly explained.

(Disclaimer) I had a poor experience and maybe that is simply unique to me. I would like to state that this company is very siloed; leading to poor communication between departments. In addition, I found the work environment to be a low trust environment often leading to confusion and frustration with technocrats advancing through the corporate structure. As I have heard from others, your fit into this organization might simply depend upon which department you are able to find an opportunity in.

For new individuals seeking to succeed in this organization, I would suggest on day 1 trying to build alliances with a mentor who can help you with your training to come on-board. Like many engineering organizations, they are heavy in colloquialisms and tribal knowledge of tools with little (if any) explanation or their origin or use.

Advice to Senior Management – As I am sure that you may be aware there is opportunities for improvement with many of the tools and resources that you have available. I found using your online learning tools were either a hit or a miss and were often not very user friendly. Making language and instructions user friendly will pay dividends as new users will rely less upon other staff to learn how to do their roles in house.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – they at least pay you

Cons – Insourced Engineers feed on the brains of technical employees and students especially out-sourced technicans or tradesmen with independent degrees and when they think they are done with you the attitudes change. Anti-family, follows attrition to the tee, low pay and low raises, poor management and naive filled HR department, with co-workers that conspire against others and their positions and drama runs rampent highly toxic. Best just not talk to anyone when you work there as you must watch your back at all times and protect your arse, highly favorized company and most likely hires people thru employee channels of the employees they favor. Does not know how to implement their culture and managment is paper thin and the pipeline is heavy on micro managment. Daktronics as a company feel is like a bad relationship if you have an outside degree and gives the people the impression they are always going broke and they complain all the time about money to add on top what they will not give you for a raise which is compounded by false accusations, they will seemingly try everything they can to make you look like you are not worthy and dock your raise. They offer no interaction with employees, they used to back in the day, now they just do not care.

Advice to Senior Management – If you have Level 3 technical peeps you need to pay them more than a newbie or greenhorn.
Technology Technicals out of school or trades start now at 18 to 20+ an hour in South Dakota wake up Daktronics can not keep up with standards of living in Sioux Falls and is not competitive.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics full-time

Pros – Middle management is bad, unqualified. When you can count on two hands the number of employees who hold MBAs, you know there's a problem.

Cons – Mid- and upper management is bad, unqualified. When you can count on two hands the number of employees who hold MBAs, you know there's a problem.

Compensation is sub par, even if you work hard. They could trim the staff by 30 percent and use that savings to retain the best employees and pay them more. I saw dozens of talented individuals leave the company for "greener" pastures.

The company tends to live in a bubble. Very few employees have worked for Fortune 500 companies so it's more difficult to stay on the cutting edge because it loses out on gaining new ideas from its new employees. The town it's located in is very nice but it's in the middle of nowhere South Dakota.

Advice to Senior Management – Lose the under performing employees, pay the good employees more. You're losing ground daily.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics part-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Allows you to grow professionally,

Cons – Lack of communication between upper level management and the employees.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – The people you work with are great. I made many friends in the 4 years I worked there.

Cons – They show no loyalty to their employees. If the company financials are bad, then everyone needs to watch out. They will find the most ridiculous and absurd reasons to terminate your employment. I know someone who was terminated for violating the dress code (she wore jeans on a Wednesday). Supervisors are basically useless. It is hard getting any real work done there because of all the red tape you have to go through first.

Advice to Senior Management – Realize that without your employees, there would be no working company. Show a little bit of loyalty to your employees. Don't start terminating and laying off after one bad quarter. They employees do all the work. Without them, there is no company. I can't even imagine the upper management out on the manufacturing floor doing the hard labor!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics

Pros – Well known (in the industry)
Interesting industry
Learn a decent amount as a first job

Cons – Low Pay
Location
Saw people do work 24/7 - no escape from it
Little opportunity for promotions

Advice to Senior Management – Learn to recognize who does work and who does not. Don't be afraid to fire - this can mean paying higher wages to people who actually do work there. Plus, more profits. Many times I was doing work and 3-4 people in my cubicle area were reading news/texting/doing nothing

Current Employee – been working at Daktronics

Pros – I have made a lot of friends here. A lot of flexibility within the company. Reasonable hours and time off.

Cons – Medical benefits package could use some help.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep up the good work.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics

Pros – The benefits are fairly good, and the hours of work are consistent yet flexible when necessary

Cons – There is more entrenchment than advancement, to the point where it is even difficult to reach your own potential.

Advice to Senior Management – Offer more consistent feedback to individual employees on job performance at regular intervals. It may allow them to become more aware of their particular strengths and weaknesses as you perceive them; and it will inform them as to whether you are really paying attention to their performance (or not).

Former Employee – worked at Daktronics

Pros – -Great product
-Big emphasis on growth and developing the staff
-Tuition reimbursement
-Great facilities, safe and clean workplace
-Some top management is extremely talented

Cons – -Very poor leadership at some of the highest levels
-Top management is not up to speed on what it takes to succeed
-Comfortable in doing what it's always done
-Engineers run the company, Sales/Marketing takes a back seat, but revenue is judged by how much you sell!

Advice to Senior Management – Hire some people with MBAs! Or those who've at least worked for top companies!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend