Mattel Reviews

Pros

The best part is everyone recognizes Mattel as the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels. Half day Fridays are great.

Cons

Hours cab be long and the demands are high. There can be silos so you don't have visiblity into other departments.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide employees more training, especially in formal classes. Also provide opportunities for growth as well as moving from one department to another.

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

Half day Fridays and fun products.

Cons

Tight deadlines and schedules and slow to adapt.

Advice to Senior Management

Adapt to changes quicker.

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

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

Good Management at the el Segundo location

Cons

Poor compensation at the El Segundo location

Advice to Senior Management

I think what would help is if the management team at the El Segundo office would pay us more. pay.

Pros

Decent pay.
Very good working environment.
Willing assistance from bosses.
Great head of engineering.
Given creative freedom on some projects.

Cons

Very slow at times.
Because of small engineering staff, it is difficult to get a job there after you graduate. If you are looking for a job that will give you this opportunity, look elsewhere.
Monotonous, very "interny", work.

Advice to Senior Management

Work more closely with your interns. Although the consensus as a whole of the program is very devoted, individual bosses do not give as much individual attention.

Organize the program a bit more.

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.