Northrop Grumman Reviews

Pros

Good Benifits as far as profit sharing and other items like health care coverage etc...

Personally I have been able to get off as needed for personal reasons so that has always been a good thing to have when needed. management is good in that area

Cons

Program Managers make unrealistic decisions based on profit and not reality of how the program actually works at ground level or towards customer needs..
They expect unlimited hours as in monitoring emails at 9:30PM for 6:30AM directions the next day and this happens time and time again. When do you suppossed to be off work? Mostly applies to salary staff. Many workers work 60 a week minimum and some upwards to 80...a week!!

Management places work leads and and other non-management staff in management types of situations where you have no authority over who they ask you to correct lets say in a employee behavior problem scenario or work not getting work done scenario.

Seems like the same top 15 people get promotions and change jobs while the rest can interview 10 times for 10 different positions but you never are qualified to receive an offer. Basically if your manager does not help you advance then you cannot on your own talent alone. I say this not just me but noticed this many times in our peer group. Interviewing for 3-4 times for a job and there are only two from your program and they then hire the 3 candidate from the outside. you are better off to come from outsie then to be hired from within.

Advice to Senior Management

Profit, while a good thing, should not be the overall and only objective when doing business. Customer satisfaction should be considered because of customer is satisfied then profit will come.
Middle program management should let lower levels openly communicate with upper management. Even though we may not be at a higher managment level many are still engineer's, PHD's and professionals with many many years of experience that could be useful if used as shared resource rather than ignoring your opinions all together..

Pros

- flexible work schedules and work/life balance support (more for overhead staff)
- locations around the country and overseas
- good benefits
- really great people

Cons

- you have to want to work in the defense industry
- federal and state contracting can be challenging in today's environment
- hard to move up... People do not leave so in a climate with no growth, it is harder to move up (those eligible to retire are not doing so)

Pros

E85 was a very family oriented work place. I enjoyed my time there. There is always continuous training for the employees.

Cons

Compared to other areas, the pay could be increased for the radiologial controls department. Raised should be based more off of work completed.

Advice to Senior Management

I loved my management. I dont really have anything negative to say. Management has always helped and advised as needed.

Pros

Provides a security clearance. Made some great friends among my peers. Intramural sports leagues and regular social outings. Great health benefits. OK 401K plan (you put in 4% and they'll match 2% max).

Cons

Lack of communication and feedback; managers wait until end of year to provide anything meaningful. Employees put into leadership positions without demonstrating any ability to manage people. Far behind the cutting edge. Laid off 800 people 3 times in the past 2 years.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop laying people off while still giving upper management bonuses. Place an emphasis on providing real feedback monthly, with meaningful goal setting.

Pros

9-80 schedule & December holiday shut-down

Cons

Problems with most Management - Horrible communication, willing to lie to make themselves look good, unethical, hypocritical, immature, irresponsible, and unfair. Hard work is ignored. Money is wasted in ways that are shameful. The work environment kills your spirit. They promote cliquey work environments. Most learn to just go through the motions and not be concerned with doing good work.

Advice to Senior Management

Spend time identifying the unethical employees and get rid of them.

Pros

Dual Pension and 401k for employees that joined prior to 2010.
Lots of opportunity for driven individuals to make a difference and prove themselves.
Good comrodary at the group level.

Cons

Lack of Leadership that applies to and directs the average worker.
Too many procedures in place that limit ones effectiveness on a day to day basis.
Average raise is 2-4%, a great raise is 4%, so it is very hard to climb faster than others in salary
No raises given for earning a Masters if earned while working at Northrop Grumman

Advice to Senior Management

Realize that even though Electronic Systems is based in Baltimore, you compete with the DC area and its salaries. Make more effort to free engineers from as many procedures as possible to increase their effectiveness instead of adding more and more procedures and more and more applications that run on our machines that limit our ability to do the work we need and want to do.

Pros

Many programs you can work on, just have to know someone on the program.

Cons

Extreme bureaucracy. getting lost in the crowd of others. No advancements unless you know someone.

Advice to Senior Management

Things are changing rapidly and you need to adjust to the change. Be prepared to be an acquisition target.

Pros

Salary is one the best in industry from what we can tell in this particular job market and current economy.

Cons

Employee education and benefits need more attention. Higher level learning at the graduate and doctoral level should be encouraged and supported more by middle and senior management.

Advice to Senior Management

Suggest allowing middle and senior management make approval decision for employee pursuing doctoral level education. Middle management sometime use excuse that "VP has to sign off" (hassle) for not supporting employees in pursuit of doctoral degrees.

Pros

It's very hard to get fired. You get an annual raise ever year 2-4%. Good benefits. It' s a good place if you want to veg and collect reasonable pay for it.

Cons

It's equally hard to get a promotion. The laziness of some people is impressive. A very bad place to be if you are an overachiever. Upper mgmt care more about their benefits and power than their people and quality work.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want to be competitive, find a way to reduce all the director and VP fighting. You must also reduce the HR departments power. The hardest thing will be eliminating the culture the rewards mediocrity and stifles change and progress.

Pros

Halfway decent ecent health care benefits.

Cons

Total disregard to work/life balance.