Pros

Diversity is embraced. Great place for someone in engineering and science bacground. Engineering is the life and blood of this company.

Cons

It's cold in Minneapolis. No, seriously MDT needs to get their act together in investing in talent that can bring new innovations to the market quickly. They have an aging employee population that is very talented but will have to retire soon.

Advice to Senior Management

Look out for fresh ideas and keep fuelling innovation.

Pros

The medtronic mission is a compelling and very much supported reason to come to work
Community involvement by Medtronic is significant and the technologies impact real people with real medical conditions

Cons

Very many silos - Business A doesn't know what Business B does. Mobility between businesses is limited. Sites outside the Twin Cities can get neglected.

Senior Management frequently leaving the company or being forced to leave make consistency of message difficult.

Advice to Senior Management

Dear Senior Management - Each year when you spend 3 months on strategic planning, then 3 months on annual operating plan, then 3 months restructuring (Layoffs) only leaves the entire company in limbo - and results in 3 months of real, active program work by those whose programs haven't been renamed or put on hold this year. Try this instead - spend 2 or 3 months on the strategic and operating plan - then the remainder of the year managing the development teams for success. Your competitors are ahead of your technologies in most every business today - roll up your sleeves and get to work Medtronic - you can do it.

Pros

Passionate leadership, believe in the mission.

Cons

Difficult to naviagate upwards in career

Advice to Senior Management

Develop internal employees

Pros

Exciting technology, great people, awesome culture. Medtronic is a well respected company for a reason. I can't say enough good things about the company.

Cons

Working for a large company in a highly regulated industry means you have to deal with a lot of red tape.

Advice to Senior Management

Consider implementing engineering leadership development rotational programs, similar to the LDRP for MBAs. It would be nice to get the broad exposure rotational programs offer.

Pros

The people who work at Medtronic are very hard working, results oriented, and yet very fun to work with. Everyone is dedicated to what they do and know that what they do is making a difference in someone elses life that will use the products we develop and manufacture. There appears to be this unspoken global sense that all employees share in that they know that they are making a difference in a strangers life for the better and that feels good.

Cons

It USED to be a company that you could grow with, raise a family around, and work your entire life for knowing that you would retire from there someday. However, with the recent lay-offs, that is no longer the case.

Advice to Senior Management

This is an American based company, founded here in America, by an American. When there's a need to cut back on expenses, can't we please try to cut some place else other than here in America? Can't we please try to keep the majority of manufacturing jobs here in America? We should never forget where we came from as our mission may be altered.

Pros

Great future pay opportunities. A job as a Kyphon rep can be very lucrative an rewarding. Medtronic is a leader and pulls a lot of respect in the field.

Cons

I did not have any problems with Medtronic

Advice to Senior Management

Thank you

Pros

Helping people is a great way to spend your day. Technology and resources abound for technical oriented profressionals.

Cons

Slow and bloated. Uncertain if sloth like pace is due to indecision or highly litigious nature of most strategic decisions. Always seem to be a new intiative and a new VP over each group every two years. If there was a consistency in initiatives or messages it may be more effective.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus, focus, focus. Management should be more focused. The mission hasn't changed in 50 years but how you plan on executing to it changes every 50 days.

Pros

For those who like so work for a company that makes them feel like they are helping the world, Medtronic satisfies this need. They work hard at making you feel every day like the work you do helps people with a lot of visibility to the end customer (the patients). Salaries high for level of work expected.

Cons

Like any large company, management competence varies very much depending on the business and department. Overall, Medtronic has tried to revamp upper management in the past few years by hiring externally. Always seem sure that someone from outside can fix issues, when causes have not been fixed. Overall, much of middle to upper management at Medtronic does not set high enough expectations and relies on high profit margins to cover a lot of flaws.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to focus on the patient to keep employees motivated. Increase expectations of what employees deliver in exchange for high salaries. Improve employee growth. Not just through salary and promotion, but by actually helping them to become better employees.

Pros

Medtronic employs a lot of really bright people in all of their functions. It feels good to work for a company that's improving the lives and health of so many people around the world.

Cons

People with degrees from big-name schools seem to float to the top effortlessly. Hard work is not always recognized or appreciated. Work-life balance is not a priority. Many managers are unwilling or ill-equipped to guide their employees to success. HR is of little to no use to the average employee, if they have an issue they need to work out. Employee morale has suffered terribly after three successive years of layoffs.

Advice to Senior Management

If the top five officers of the company receive large pay raises in the midst of a terrible economy and a round of 1,500 layoffs, it sends a terrible message to your employees and stakeholders.

Pros

Small but wonderful place in tempe - mix of hi-tech and healhcare

Cons

limited exposure to beyond what is happening in Tempe

Advice to Senior Management

Increase exposure and attract talent