Oerlikon Reviews

Pros

the experience within a couple of years one gets at Oerlikon one would need two or three times longer in another (more stable) company. ie for the career and technical development it is great, if you can handle the instability and turns around

Cons

ups and downs and fluctuatin of colleagues is a clear minus... change of strategies and projects are often too fast so that one ist not yet really implemented and the next mngt team generation is already coming with a new strategy...

Advice to Senior Management

speed up modern HR tools and motivation of the staff, reduce fluctuation, build up inter-departamental exchange

Pros

solar, renewable energy market!!! good technology, eco-friendly

Cons

inside communication, bad managment! less motivation for employees,

Advice to Senior Management

communicate

Pros

highly capable scientists and engineers
the company allows and promotes job changes and further development
interesting business (solar)

Cons

management lacks a clear direction and strategy or it is not able to communicate it
low morale
crappy company locations

Advice to Senior Management

work out the numbers and define a strategy ;)
communicate clearly the strategy for the years ahead
concentrate on profitable sectors

Pros

You work from home and may be off between jobs

Cons

You travel 85% of the time

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

Experience is a plus on CV, as far as Oerlikon is a welknown company (at least in Switzerland) and dealing with high tech products. There is some good people there that you can learn a lot from. Very differentiated segments of business, which gives the chance to learn a lot about dos and don'ts at corporation life.

Cons

Difficult to mangage corporation tasks within subs, as far as quite decentralized management. Segments are not always cooperative with HQ.
Huge fluctuation of personnel in HQ and also Segments makes work difficult, as far as even mid term knowledge is often gone.
Finally, extrem cuts of headcounts lead not rarely to quick and dirty work by the remaining ones, and huge fees to external consultants...

Advice to Senior Management

please strongly rethink your support, compensation and motivation schemes in order to avoid loosing even more people with valuable knowledge of the company. Even if in the short term it sounds "efficient" to reduce headcount, in the mid and long term you are throwing paid for and built up knowledge away!