Navistar Reviews

Pros

Very cool products, good benefits package, lots of opportunity to learn and to influence a lot more than at automotive OEMs

Cons

Management disconnected with employees, lack of vision from senior leadership, lack of planning from senior leadership, lack of courage from leadership, promotion from within rare - often promote if you leave and come back a year later

Advice to Senior Management

Casually sit down with the employees that actually make things happen, not because you feel obligated, but because you want to have a true understanding of what is going on and what is important to your employees. Focus on how you can allow your teams to perform better, rather than trying to motivate them - good people are self-motivated and only need an environment where they can perform their best. Provide a compelling and specific vision for the organization that allows everyone to understand how it aligns with their work. Be humble and ask your employees for feedback on your own performance such that you can improve. When receiving said feedback, take it as data rather than attacks. Stop micromanaging smart and hard-working people - they will get the job done faster and better if you simply provide your support only when it's needed. Trust and back-up your teams - why would they ever take risks if they don't think you will stand up for them?

Pros

Decent pay and benefits. Great building

Cons

Good ole boy network needs to change

Advice to Senior Management

Don't pay yourself target level bonus and pay everyone else less then target

Pros

Three day weekend most of the time

Cons

Compensation is okay but most barely get by.
No respect for others
Constantly cussing employees in meetings, in the office, and all around the plant
Threats are common
The plants are dirty and hot - mostly a sweatshop environment
Too many meetings with no agenda and no resolution
Very boring work
Old school management and co-workers
Will not accept the paradigm shift and welcome change

Advice to Senior Management

Being in manufacturing for years now, I have seen plants in Mexico (electronics, welding, injection molding) that are more clean and advanced then the plants that Navistar has. Get with the program and start firing people with the old school mentality. That way the company can finally move into the 21st century. Technology at plants very dated - hello - wireless networking has been around for years, yet most plants do not even have it. Get rid of all the manual processes and start updating equipment. Going to the different Navistar plants, I have noticed that the cussing (f-bomb and others) is quite the norm, out loud, by management, with no respect for individuals that just want to be left alone to do a good job!

Pros

Benefits, avg pay, most people competent.

Cons

Extremely buracratic, lots of computer downtime, reliance on software systems that are slow and inefficient to get everything done from checking out an assignment to measuring employee performance. Company is completly dependent and a slave to the monster of a system they created and it stifles creativity, progress and schedule adherence.

Advice to Senior Management

Throw away workflow, cut the bottlenecks of Teamcenter, give the division more freedom from corporate and start getting things done and don't kiss corp management's butt.

Pros

The culture of Navistar is one that embraces personal development and growth. People are highly encouraged to try new things, gain new skills, and move to different job opportunities within the company. During performance review discussions, a large portion of the conversation is about what the employee's short and long term career goals are and what experiences are necessary to get them there. I have never seen anyone being held back from developing themselves personally and professionally.

Cons

It is definitely a more traditional and conservative environment. If you are looking for a relaxed and "creative" environment like Southwest or Google, this is not the place for you. There are also many people who have worked here for several decades, and there is a common mentality of "that's how we've always done it." But, in recent years, there have been many new people being hired, so that mindset is slowly changing.

Pros

Lots of interest and potential opportunties as Navistar works to transform itself from a US dependent truck company to a fully vertically integrated truck and engine company.

Cons

Little sense of alignment from the senior management team on technical direction, decision making process is broken with people either doing nothing to avoid doing the wrong thing or everyone gong off in a different direction

Advice to Senior Management

Empower the senior team to actually manage the company, but only after they have learnt to really understand and work with each other. Respect fo reach other will hopefully come with time because it is sadley lacking at the moment

Pros

Paycheck doesn't bounce
No Dress Code
Work Hours
Always seem to be open positions
Free mechanic work shirts!! Yippee!
See a lot of really cool trucks!

Cons

Culture - Rule by intimidation with no respect for other people
No dress code so if you like to look like a slob, you'll fit in!
Work Hours are excessive with no overtime pay if you're level 6 and up. (55+hrs/wk)
Too many independent internal system resource tools that many are unaware.
Extremely high turnover
Good Ol Boy - (bad grammar and bad language are OK!)
Chaotic and stressful enviornment
Bad area
Parking sucks!
Big Brother is watching feeling
Basically have to transfer to get a promotion
Unqualified leadership in some areas
Disfunctional and chaotic atmosphere
Have to turn in your work shirts when you leave

Advice to Senior Management

Consider taking a few courses on how to treat other people with dignity & respect instead of intimidation & threats. Sad how many of the employees including engineers & especially management don't even know how to drive the very trucks they design & build.
Accept a job here only if you're desperate but don't stay too long or you will become brainwashed into thinking that is normal and that it's not any better out in the real world. Most of the fellow engineers here started right after college so they are not very objective and nothing to compare against. For the most part, they have become stuck in a deadend job that is not challenging and with no reward but because they feel it's safer to bend over and easier than looking for another job, they put up with the BS and stay. Good luck!

Pros

Good people
Good product
Decent benefit package
Vacation builds quickly
X-mas shutdown
Interesting technology and business model
Oppurtinuity to learn

Cons

Management clueless of business
Lack of respect for workers
Expectation for loanf work hours with minimal pay
Old boy network

Advice to Senior Management

Learn the business. Heavy truck is not the same as pass car. Company is smaller than the big 3 and the truck buyer is not the driver.

Pros

It's is a decent place to work, and they try to make it fun.

Cons

They do not really value employees.

Pros

Good product.
Opportunities to move withing company

Cons

HR is awful - unorganized and bad communication
Poor data sharing
Company is stuck in old way of doing things