GE Aviation Reviews

Pros

Compensation
Most co-workers are pretty smart

Cons

Not a meritocracy
Incompetent people get promoted, good people stay on the bottom
Most other companies haven't cut back on benefits as severely
HR runs the company and makes decisions on things they have no knowledge about

Advice to Senior Management

Go back to the meritocracy it used to be.

Pros

In my experience, every single person is willing to reach out and answer any questions you have. The community is very supportive in helping you accomplish everything you want to. GE provides bountiful opportunities to get as involved in your job as you wish and prepare yourself for your career ahead.

Cons

There are obviously only so many available positions to go around. Sometimes you may not get the position you originally desired, but there is always room offered to reach outside of your normal job description and pick up projects your are interested in and feel you can help with.

Advice to Senior Management

As far as what I saw, management was fantastic. My manager was very understanding if I ever needed time off, and very supportive of my goals. I also feel he did a great job allowing me to adjust my responsibilities based on my skills so that I could have the best effect on the business possible. I did not come in contact with much senior leadership, but from what I have seen things seem to be going smoothly, I like to see all the new projects and innovation by GE, especially in the ecomagination program.

Pros

• Broad range of products and services to spark long term career interest
• Process oriented company
• Great training programs offered for both new and experienced engineers
• Great employee / company support for community activities
• Excellent job posting system spanning entire company
• Ability to transfer to different businesses within company (subject to management approval)
• Purchase GE products at reduced cost
• Flexible working arrangements

Cons

• Bureaucratic - rigid processes often inhibits individual initiative / customer service
• US based company (with more non-US employees) that transfers technical know-how outside of US
• Management frequently asks for opinions and feedback but often hears what they want to hear
• Pay raises not commensurate with contributions
• Defined pension plan replaced by contributing 401K
• Medical plan (dental, eye, medical, medicine) revamped at greater employee out of pocket cost. Yearly expenses can range from 4% gross base pay with little / no illness to 10% or more with typical family medical expenses

Advice to Senior Management

Don’t forget the people who made GE great long before you became a manager.

Pros

Tremendous opportunities
Continuous learning
Greater responsibility than at other companies with same experience
Incredible technology and impact for the customer
You work with some of the smartest, most capable people in the world
Always sought after by recruiters

Cons

Can be political...not the meritocracy it once was
Pay and benefits are not competitive...the experience has always been the offset, but other companies are catching up

Advice to Senior Management

Reward the people who aren't afraid to sweat as opposed to those who spend their effort looking good

Pros

Training opportunity
Community service
Affinity groups provide us the chance to get connected to one another

Cons

Internal focus on mainly financial metrics
Over bureaucratic impossible to get work done
Not listening to stakeholders inside or out
Put on show vs. Getting down to real work of solving worlds toughest problems, internal reporting can not admit problem exists, if we cannot solve them because we cannot admit them how do we go about solving the real problems the world is facing
Leadership promotes only the head office people, very much focus on diverstiy vs. Ability and performance, it's all politics

Advice to Senior Management

Be team of true leaders, leadership is not only about numbers, it's about people. Leadership should look at more than making a quarter. You have access to some of the best and brightest young people out there, engage us in the process get us involved, stop transmitting and begin listening

Pros

Good resources across the globe.

Cons

Peter principle runs far and wide at GE Aviation

Pros

-Compensation, benefits
-Co-workers were friendly and generally encouraged a supportive environment

Cons

-Tedious work and sometimes get lost in the shuffle at such a large company. The effect you have on the company is not as great because of the substantial size

Advice to Senior Management

Dish out more responsibility amongst the lower employees. Communication and management meetings can be ineffective. Continue to streamline processes and destroy some of the bureaucracy

Pros

The work is very interesting, technically challenging, and rewarding. In my experience, there is not a lot of knee jerk, need it by the end of the day types of requests.

Cons

Compensation & promotions are assigned in what is described as an impartial process, but still seems to favor those who make a lot of noise in performing their job. Newly introduced high-deductible health care plan is designed to shift more cost towards the employees. Vacation, number of holidays, and yearly bonus is inferior to at least one competitor (Rolls-Royce Indy).

Advice to Senior Management

Leadership needs to care more about the individual employees, pay attention to the attrition rate and not just shrug it off.

Pros

In engineering, you will work with some of the most knowledgeable people you will ever meet.
Great opportunities to work on different projects, provided you don't make the mistake of becoming an expert in any field.

Cons

Very short term focus on this years results, no thought given to the long term capability of the company with the concomitant high loss rate of experienced engineers. Incompetence is not a barrier to promotion, you'll have to teach your managers how the job should be done - and they'll get the credit, not you.
Benefits and salaries are miserable compared to other companies in the sector.

Advice to Senior Management

Engineers are the backbone of your company, you need to treat them with a lot more respect, otherwise you won't have a company left to manage.

Pros

Experience of large company. Great if you are right out of school

Cons

GE lives off of the legacy that Welch built. They frequently ruin the companies they acquire and force out senior people that were responsible for building and making the company profitable.

Advice to Senior Management

Get over yourself. You ain't all that.