Mattel Reviews in Los Angeles, CA Area

Pros

Good benefits, well-known brand, excitement, and a chance to play with "play"

Cons

Culture of conservative action - Because so many people are fired every year, few want to take bold chances that could put them at risk of being in the next round of firings.

Advice to Senior Management

Obtain support for bold, longer-term solutions to improve business metrics, even if they require a period of investment for no immediate return.

Pros

Great benefits, on-site gym, Mattel store

Cons

Too corporate and too many layoffs. This is one toy company where it is not fun to go to work everyday.

Pros

Mattel works in teams with each member of the team working on the whole project. The atmosphere is one of encouraging innovative solutions to the challenges presented. Pay is commiserate to the local market. Benefits are some of the best around in private industry.

Cons

Certain times of the year are frantic and require overtime. This is a function of the toy business and the need to have the majority of the product line to be brand new every year. Being such a large company, you don't get the opportunity to know many of the people outside of your business unit.

Pros

Half day fridays year-round, friendly people. Good compensation and perks. Excellent MBA intern program, with lots of opportunities to strut your stuff in front of the top executives. Heavy focus on career development within the organization.

Cons

Over-emphasis on networking and relationship building. There can be a lack of guidance at times. A terrible lack of information sharing not only between departments and businesses, but even within teams. Embarrassingly outdated IT infrastructure.

Advice to Senior Management

The company's direction makes a lot of sense and it's commendable that the company is investing a lot in its employees.

Pros

- Great talent
- Great benefits and time off
- ok pay
- Fun environment
- Great Brand

Cons

- Poor Leadership. 7 years no top line growth while i was there, but yet largest bonuses ever!
- Constant layoffs to compensate for bonus program
- Promotions are based on who you know, not competency or reviews (Hihg turnover)

Advice to Senior Management

It's amazing how open employees were about their dislike toward the E-Team. No humility shown - $100k cars parked in front reserved spaces. Never begrudge someone for making good money, but some humility goes a long way. Humilty and treat your employees with more respect.

Pros

You do learn a lot

Every toy project is a cross discipline project.

Good benefits

Cons

There are people who have been there for 15 to 25 years, they do not do as much work as you do
but their pay is so much higher.

You have to be verbal and visible. How much work you do actually does not equal to
how much work people perceive that you do.

Advice to Senior Management

Have a better performance review system.

Pros

Great benefits and perks. 1/2 day Fridays!

Cons

Decisions take too long and it holds them back from being first to market.

Pros

Amazing people who are passionate about the brands, are smart & truly care about making kids happy

Cons

A senior leadership team who sits around and count their money rather than thinking strategically about inspiring & motivating their workforce

Advice to Senior Management

Move on -- let a new group take the helm.

Pros

Great perks, generous time off, pay seemed pretty fair.
Lot of charitable opportunities.
Onsite gym and cafeteria.
Emphasis on corporate culture.
Had good training programs.

Cons

Don't let the toys fool you, its pretty stuffy.
In the one year I worked there - there were 4 layoffs!
In IT, you are most definitely a second class citizen.
Cut-throat business, things get grim when there is a bad quarter.
Shareholder, not end customer - seems to be the focus.

Advice to Senior Management

If there was not 80% turnover since I left in IT, it is darn well close. There seemed to be no firm direction, one week - thousands of dollars of training, next week - half those people are laid off. Hybrid outsourcing model is just not working. Spent millions on outside consultancies to say what the busboy in the cafeteria already knew..

Pros

Senior management takes the company's "Play" values seriously, resulting in an ethical company that respects its employees.

Year round half-day Fridays are even better than they sound!! Imagine working overtime and still leaving the office at 2pm!!

Great brands that you can that you can get excited about and in an industry that is comparatively resistent to economic downturn.

A very fast paced, dynamic company culture that gets addicting. Once you are at Mattel, it is hard to leave.

Growth internationally shows promise for some cool career opportunities.

Encourages internal rotation.

Cons

A past history of lay-offs leaving things a little too lean at the lower levels.

Political in some areas, but has improved over the last few years.

Hard to get in.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication is king. So many of the recent moves are the right thing to do, but may be misunderstood. Keep your employees in the loop with the "what" and the "why" and they will support you.

Avoid any significant workforce reductions at all costs. It really is a morale killer.

We need more new brands like Monster High!!!