Detroit Diesel Employee Review

Former Employee – worked at Detroit Diesel

Pros – New product line with complex German engineering. Very little real competition aside from Cummins. Strong dealer/distribution network. Decent brand value. A few intelligent, good people still work there.

Cons – Company doesn't stand behind their product. Nepotistic , highly political "Good 'Ol Boy, Old School" corporate culture, shady and morally questionable business practices. Uneducated, incompetent managers and employees. Blue collar culture, education and intelligence frowned upon. Strict German management and control. Corporate offices are separated into "hourly" and "salaried" divisions, it's 2009. Executive positions mostly "reserved" for German blood. Amibiguous performance metrics and unfair employee evaluations. Lack of authority for employees to make decisions, which are ultimately made at slower than a snails pace. Not much has changed in the last 30 years. Unprofessional environment, industry and customers. Too much testosterone, not enough brain cells. Get "R" Done culture. Glass ceiling for women and minorities. Lack of respect for the environment. Poor product quality, especially compared to Cummins. Bueracracy is prevalent, since DDC competes in an Oligopoly marketplace. Union manufacturing worforce. Very low employee morale, many are depressed. The German execs have dug a deep hole for this company.

Advice to Senior Management – Adopt more professional standards and hold managers to them. Move all manufacturing to Mexico or Brazil and bust the union. Bring back 401k matches, bonuses and restore salaries to pre-"cut" levels. Don't just pretend to appreciate valued employees, sincerely appreciate them and show it, people can tell the difference and they ARE your most valuable asset. Operate lean and mean. Fire incompetent, uneducated Regional Sales Managers, especially out west and clean house in the marketing dept. Implement more "individual performance based" compensation standards and do a better job of more fairly evaluating an individual's performance. The current variable pay system is a joke.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend