REC Solar Reviews in San Luis Obispo, CA

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – REC Solar is a good place to work, most of the people here are great to work with and REC's IT department is one of the few places where you can gain experience using products such as Oracle ERP, Salesforce.com, and Juinper Hardware/Junos. They invest a large portion of budget into their IT department because at the end of the day having strong IT systems can push you organization past the competition.

A few other things:

The atmosphere is enjoyable yet professional
Plenty of room for personal growth if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone
Great people to work with
Great place to live

Cons – Like most places you have a handful of people (though out of an organization of 1000+) who are not the most pleasant to work with but that is to be expected as not everyone sees eye to eye on business strategy in a growing company.

The executive managment has experienced high turn over in the past which to some may be concering.

Pay is average at the Individual Contribitor level, but some departments have a better ability to retain talent when compared to others which can be frusturating.

The Solar industry is very competive and is lacking some stability, thankfully REC is one of the few profitable Solar companies around but at times is it still disconcerting.

SOP across the organization need to be enforced and/or created, unfortuntely few employees appreciate the necessity of SOP and supporting policies and Executive Management is not very good at forcing employees to follow it when it inconveniences them.

Advice to Senior Management – Invest more into your top talent and share services talent, many companies are poaching people from REC because they have qualities and the necessary experience that larger companies need.

Enforce SOP and related policies, without them you will never be able to grow the company to level the board is looking for.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at REC Solar full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – *Many people join the company because it is one of the few ways they can live in San luis Obispo and work for a reputable company.
*Inside sales team supports outside team with leads... but expect to lead gen w/channel partners
*Their channel relationships really help drive the sales process and give REC a good reputation
*Solid reputation in the industry for doing good work
*After being there for 18months+ you can basically run the place
*Compensation is fair for the amount of work required at the sales level- after a year or two you can make $80-100k and work 25-30 hours a week.
*Teams are small and tend to hang out/have fun outside of work
*Leadership is pretty darn good!!!

Cons – *Job can be frustrating because competition is so fierce and resources are so low.
*A lot of promotions are done based on who went to high school/Cal Poly with who
*Very hard work and you have to be very good at always looking at the positive side
*Have begun switching to a more lean business model. Most salespeople are having to provide own vehicles and have a 'draw' against base.
*Was always suprised at how little administrative jobs paid
*Many of the young folks who helped build the company from scratch are jaded or have left

Advice to Senior Management – *Create more levels of advancement for employees
*take risks and dedicate resources targeting EXPANSION not just complacence

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – Great working with such talented hard working people. I have many colleagues that have become close friends. A really supportive team of passionate people who want to make a difference. Things from a company culture and communication standpoint in the last year have improved with the new CEO. Very exciting to see this progress.

Cons – The solar industry is very dynamic and the only constant is change. REC continues to keep stride with the industry meaning that things change very often and we are constantly benchmarking ourselves against new companies, some of whom succeed and some don't. This is not a good industry to be in if you don't like change. Communication in the past wasn't great, and while it's definitely improved, there is still room for improvement.

Advice to Senior Management – Be realistic about what this industry/ company is capable of. Don't compare us to companies who have different business models and budgets if we aren't willing to pay to play in their arena.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – Working at REC Solar has provided me access to do more than I could have ever imagined in an entry-level job. The experience I have gained in the past few years has been invaluable for my resume. If I had gone to a big company straight out of college there's no way that I would have been exposed to as many things (including the entire business model in detail) as I have been at REC. There has been a significant change in the focus and message coming from the Executive Team, and for the most part, it has been very positive.

Cons – The first year was exciting, everything was new! Then it became exhausting to keep up with the ever-changing standards and expectations. There was a time where the leadership team was struggling, everything was kept secret, and employees felt like they were just getting dismissed and stepped on - all while being kept in the dark. Many efforts went unrecognized, and many of us experienced some serious burnout at one time or another.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep working on the goal of having a performance driven culture. Encourage your peers to step up and really own the fact that they are now Executives (there are a few people with a ways to go still) and that people are looking up to all of you. Don't forget to have fun in the workplace, and learn to keep your egos out of sight when appropriate.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – Some really great people try really hard to save the planet.

Cons – I have never seen so many executives and senior mangers come in, look around and then for whatever reason leave the company.

Advice to Senior Management – You best figure it out soon or you will be paying a lot to get people to stay. Your margins are already challenged which will make it difficult to sell the company for the value you think it is worth. And we know that is what is all about--sell the company and move on to other exploitations.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – REC Solar is growing fast and I have had the opportunity a to grow as well. I have a job that impacts the environment in a positive way, and I feel lucky for it. I enjoy the people I work with.

Cons – Fast growth can feel chaotic,. There seem to be lots of changes that can make it hard to keep up.

Advice to Senior Management – More communication on a regular basis would be appreciated. Try to make more effort to recognize employees. More company functions.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – Good weather, free water, and bathroom breaks.

Cons – REC Solar finds ways to cut back on even the most necessary items (like file folders and paper clips). Executive management hires friends and family over qualified, experienced personnel. The policies changes on a constant basis and if caught, it’s clearly outlined that it’s not Managements responsibility to inform employee’s of any changes. I have been told by an Executive Manager that the people who work here are “not here for the money.” I have been working here for 3+ years and have gone from step one, to step one, to step one. My pay has increased a total of $1.34 since I was hired on. The only reason I say is because this is my hometown and I work so close to where I live.

Advice to Senior Management – My advice would be to treat employee's fairly and not have "key contributor" and "one's who got here early" when it comes to stock investment. I guess I must learn to live with "I had to draw the line somewhere" and "this is a private company, this is just how the industry is."

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at REC Solar

Pros – REC Solar has given much valuable experience in a burgeoning industry. This companies HQ is located in a wonderful place to live.

Cons – Many people have sacrificed much for many years to grow this company to where it is today. These people worked only to find their efforts forgotten and the fruits of their success taken by a rash of exotic executive arrivals. Further more, these dedicated individuals are now told that they are not "key contributors" to the company they helped create and as such will not have the opportunity to share in the success of their hard work. REC Solar continues to lie to its employees regarding wages, bonus program's, and upward mobility. REC Solar is driven by greed and nepotism. Support your local community, don't buy into corporate greed and hype.

Advice to Senior Management – If your goal is to inflate the company as fast as possible with the hopes of cashing in on a buyout, your on the right track. If your goal is to step on the people and community that created a situation where you and your friends can become incredibly wealthy, then your on the right track.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend