Dassault Falcon Jet Reviews

Pros

Great benefits package. They really care about their employees and do a great job of making sure that they are cared for.

Cons

Stress. If a plane in behind schedule, expect to work extra hours to make sure that all the paperwork is done on time.

Pros

Easy work and relatively consistent, easy money. Drawing boxes in Catia.

Cons

Management is completely out of touch with what is happening.
Favoritism is rampant, You need to be part of the club to moved up to leadership positions
I've heard that the engineering department was "cleaned up" so maybe it is better now.

Advice to Senior Management

None, they know what they should do to improve, they have just ignored the feedback. At least when I was there, I have heard that there have been some changes.

Pros

The benefits package is outstanding (at least until that becomes taxable income). While the pay is well below the industry average, it is closer to the average for Little Rock. But the health care is the best plan of any company that I have worked for.

Cons

Job advancement opportunities for Americans are extremely limited. In order to advance in the company (or to have anyone in management listen to you) you must be French (French Canadian doesn't count, sorry guys). The management stupidly forces a production line process in every aspect of the job...we build CUSTOM aircraft!!! EVERY jet is different. an assembly line mentality is suicidal! Stop the insanity!!!

EVERY issue that comes up is called an "Engineering error". If they mess up the paint job on the plane - engineering error. If the cabinet shop cuts a cabinet in half by mistake - engineering error. If the installers put the cabinet in backward - engineering error. It is a joke. How can I put in a true effort into my job if there is no accountability downstream, and any error (even ones that I pointed out) are pinned on me.

"Engineered with passion" - HA!!!
"Crafted with pride" - Nope...
"slapped together by the lowest bidder without regard to quality" - now THAT is the Falcon way...

Advice to Senior Management

Not necessary. The French management thinks all Americans are idiots, and therefore there is nothing we can say. It would not surprise me to see them shut down the engineering office in Little Rock in the next 3 years. I honestly thing that is the goal of the engineering management; shut down the LR engineering department and move it back to France. Therefore they will not even try to improve things.

Pros

The pay is very good for this area. The benefits are more than competitive within the field. They recently went through hard times but minimized layoffs as much as possible. They did have a series of furloughs which were not well thought out or organized but they did retain more people than a lot of companies would have. Hiring has finally started to return to normal.

Cons

Below management level the average employee can expect to work overtime and weekends for no apparent reason. Plans will be made daily and those plans will be changed by noon the next day. There are no problems that aren't considered a crisis. Consequently normal procedures never develop and are never used. Every problem that arises is a unique and bewildering maze for management.

Advice to Senior Management

Upper management is knowledgeable and well intentioned. However, they second guess everyone that works for them. If people aren't allowed to make simple decisions without being corrected they will stop making decisions. That's why every single issue we have winds up being decided at a VP level. Advice to management is this; Watch the big picture and stay out of everything else.

Pros

1. Good Benefits.
2. Exposure to French Culture (Opportunity to learn new language, make diverse friends).
3. Exposure to really very well designed aircrafts.
4. Non Unionized.

Cons

1. Poor or Unqualified Management / Leadership from Bottom-Up.
2. Exposure to French Culture (Very Nepotistic).
3. Not very structured in terms of processes...driving inconsistent standards.
4. Not a performance driven environment but a Who you Know or Are you French environment.
5. Sadly the promotion of these unqualified personnel in the ranks of management has created an environment where no one who is able to speak to the emperor has the audacity, willingness or acumen to point out he has no clothes. (couple of folks who were qualified and tried were either demoted or moved)
6. Preferential treatment for employees based on which site you serve. (France or US), (NJ or AR).
7. The last employee survey was in 2006. There was no feedback on what the results were...no notable changes to suggest employee feedback recommended changes.
8. The French tend to speak poorly of the American qualification or approach to problem solving creating a hidden animosity..an unhealthy workplace.
9. Not a diverse workplace. Only one colored person as a VP(HR), close to no colored directors or managers. No women as directors or VP's a few women managers in non essential roles.
10. High attrition rate for engineers who are career aware....more than 30 (or greater than 10%) have left since in the first 6 months of this year...that too in a poor economy.
11. OMG I need to get out of here.....

Advice to Senior Management

Not sure they would be willing to hear anyones advice...They had several management consultants come in to advice them on strategy and direction...it was never heeded.

Pros

Great starting salary
Overtime compensation paid
Great benefits
Vacation/sick time
Weathers industry downturns better than corporate peers

Cons

Communication between management & employees were poor.
Interdepartment relations were in tension, instead of cooperating for the better good of the company.
During down turn, management was mum about layoffs and downsizing; no time to prepare for thw worse.

Advice to Senior Management

Practice better communication, provide more incentives for hard work.

Pros

Fantastic benefits package. Overtime opportunities. Clean and safe environment. Opportunity to learn to speak French made available. Great paid holidays.

Cons

One of the main access routes to the facility goes through a rough part of town.

Advice to Senior Management

Tool control could be better.

Pros

There are none. The money is good, but the management and the GM are worthless. Couldn't run a company if their lives depended on it. They can't afford to buy us tools and equipment and fix the facilities, but they can spend money on state of the art High definition security cameras and painting floors. When people ask me about working here I tell them to look elsewhere because we are not treated like people, we are treated like slaves and are threatened with termination at every turn.

Cons

My above statement in the pro's section says it all. Again there are too many cons to list. Being treated like a second class citizen just because your brother is the Director of maintenance for a customer doesn't mean you can treat us like crap. Upper management do what they want with little or no concern about how it impacts those of us who work on the floor fixing aircraft.

Advice to Senior Management

Quit and go find a job you're good at. Especially the upper management running/ruining the company and forcing hard working and good technicians to look for work elsewhere.

Pros

This company has good benefits. The best out there!

Cons

The main con is management. Either you have the French management side of the house trying to run an American company or you have the American management side of the house that is not qualified.

Advice to Senior Management

Start over! Get rid of ALL the management and hire folks that are qualified to be managers.

Pros

Great place to start your career. Get all of the training you can, and then migrate to Hawker (across the runway) for wage advancement.

Cons

Not much opportunity for salary advancement. There have been recent large scale layoffs. But the company seems to be stabilizing.

Advice to Senior Management

None.