Harris Reviews

Pros

Military Contracting work is very unique compared to other jobs out there. Lives of soliders and other government personals around the world depends on communication to survive and their experience is the most important thing. I felt important in that mission and what I work on will improve their experience.

Cons

Sometimes work life experience isnt really great, like food services are horrible, and the vending machines are expensive.

Advice to Senior Management

I love the company gatherings, please have more!

Pros

Ability to learn new technology. Being part of a big organization has it's benefits.

Cons

Internal Communication issues and lack of respect for middle managers.

Pros

It's a job. Being a big organization, the opportunities do exist. Might be OK place to start a career, though I'm not even confident about that. The benefits are OK, not amazing, but pretty good. If you fit the bureaucratic mold or enjoy that game, this place will treat you well. If you are not top-25 school material, they sponsor education opportunities at Tier 2 schools.

Cons

There are higher paying jobs here, but for me the pay was atrocious. Also, in a place like this, most "engineers" are dealt with as glorified skilled-tradesman, not professionals.
So many levels of hierarchy, with the lower management levels having virtually no power to manage. Ham-fisted management. As a mid-career engineer, they put me in the factory building across town, where engineers would visit in disdain. I could have spent a year or two and schmoozed my way into an appropriate job or availed myself to education programs of questionable value outside Harris or Rochester, but decided it was a very poor strategy being 8 years into the field and able to get out of upstate NY.

Advice to Senior Management

Not much. As long as they keep the revolving door from government spinning they will be fine.

Pros

9/80 work week
Benefits
Career Advancement..if you're a go-getter
Very bright and helpful co-workers

Cons

Red Tape
Outdated OS (lots of paperwork)
Too much non-value overhead (Authoria, CMMI, etc.)
Avoid the Broadcast Comm Division..unless you enjoy a super sloppy organization

Advice to Senior Management

Mgmnt is actually pretty darn good (I worked in Operations at GCSD..thumbs up!). It's just that the government customers have so many requirements and Harris has to play along :-( Also, the BCD division is very different and not very well run. Stick with RF Comm or GCSD.

Pros

Good work/life balance
competitive benefits
stable company
management is open to ideas

Cons

red tape
lack of strategic vision and execution

Advice to Senior Management

diversify
bring new managers with experience on commercial markets
get rid off the matrix organizational structure

Pros

Good products. Good direction from management. Benefits - insurance and otherwise - were really good. Place is a good place to "be from" - has reputation for hiring brilliant people, but also their mistreatment of people is well-known, so you don't have to explain why you left.

Cons

Getting stuff done right and ahead of schedule didn't count as much as making it look like you worked 80 hours a week and lived and died for the place. Some are "in the club" and the rest, if they know what's good for them, had better be looking all the time for the next opportunity.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop hiring people in a rush at good times, then firing people in a rush at bad times. I've never seen such a roller coaster headcount curve.

Pros

It has a good engineering environment. Lots of smart engineers. If you perform well you will be rewarded. Several offices around the globe make it easy to work and transfer.

Cons

Very little pay compared to industry standards. You had to beg for a raise. If you are not a top 3 performer you get very little opportunity to succeed. No adoption of a mobile work place environment. You had to be there for each meeting. Working remotely was frowned upon. Lots of politics and no empowerment for jr level managers. Folks barely moved from position and leadership oppurtunities came with little monetary incentive.

Advice to Senior Management

1) Empower your Jr Mgrs
2) Adopt some new methods in the workplace
3) Incentivize leadership oppurtunities
4) Get rid of kiss-ass employees and management

Pros

Great Benifits except for Dental.
1. Great 401k
2. Stable work enviorment
3. Qaulity of people that you work with.

Cons

Good old boys club. No direct leadership to guide on how to advance in the company. It about who you know and not about the qaulity of work. Screw up move up. Work hard and never move. To many inderect bosses to answer to. Too many policies to stifle growth and work. Yearly raises do not keep up with inflation. A mark is given to meet then moved or changed depending on who is charge that day.

Advice to Senior Management

Publish what it takes for advancment. Streamline the matrix managment style. Have more of a direct leadership that employees can answer to. Have something set in stone so employees can follow instead of changing policies on a daily basis. Learn how to be more proactive instead of reactive towards problems.

Pros

9/80 work week; pay is ok for the area COL

Cons

mgmt/HR seem to have their heads up their asses

Advice to Senior Management

if you want to cut costs so bad, how about reducing all the unnecessary overhead i.e. authoria

Pros

Good salary and benefits. Harris is a very large company, so it offers some stability and opportunities for growth.

Cons

Communication between corporate and local offices is poor.