Rohm and Haas Reviews in Philadelphia, PA Area

Pros

Company was a good place to work when it was still R&H. Fair to employees and many bright and dedicated co-workers.

Cons

Left when the company was bought out by Dow. Friends who remain do not seem quite as positive about how they are being treated by Dow.

Advice to Senior Management

Former R&H workers who remain after the take over should be valued by new management. After a period of adjustment, they will make valuable contributions to the success of Dow.

Pros

learned a lot while i worked here. everyone was very willing to teach me and took a personal interest in my career development.

Cons

the office setting was somewhat impersonal. i feel that the upper management hid behind closed doors and the lower level employees were not given much interaction.

Advice to Senior Management

wish you hadn't sold to dow. you took an amazing family business in the local area and sold it to a bigger competitor who has destroyed the company in search of the next dollar.

Pros

Response depends on the business unit. The powder group was fast paced with lots of opportunity to grow and succeed. Less degree oriented and more "show me the results" to gain the promotion or position. Great supportive team to work with.

Cons

Work/life balance could be non-existant if you are not careful. Not easy to move from one business unit to another,

Advice to Senior Management

Go Dow .. or Akzo I mean. In the transition to Akzo keep the employees encouraged, well informed, and recognized for their contributions and successes, no matter how small they may seem.

Pros

Very supportive culture. Strong emphasis on employee satisfaction. Great company to retire from. Growing emphasis on professional growth. Great business processes as recognized across the industry.

Cons

The culture was not very conducive for aggressive and fast-tracked growth. The high percentage of long-term employees meant a newcomer (especially a fresh graduate) felt like they had a long way to go.

Advice to Senior Management

Encourage aggressive and risk-taking behavior. Continue to recognize and pay attention to the "voice of the employee" even post-acquisition. Highlight the positive aspects of Rohm and Haas' culture in the new company.

Pros

Historically, it has been a great place to work. The work was challenging and interesting. The compensation package is good.

Cons

They have handled downsizing poorly. Rather than make a quick surgical strike, they dribbled out layoffs over time. Perhaps it is because Dow acquired Rohm and Haas early in 2009.

Advice to Senior Management

When you have to do reduce the workforce, do it quickly, in a single day. Do not drag it out.

Pros

Rohm and Haas is an excellent place to work. The core values of the company are loyalty and integrity and this is demonstrated by the tenure of the people who work at Rohm and Haas. The individuals are oustanding and for the most part are supportive to each other. The leadership has done an excellent job at navigating through global economic conditions. Its really fun to work there.

Cons

Rohm and Haas began, as all companies starting in the beginning of the 20th century as paternalistic. They work hard on diversity and innovation but in general it is a fairly conservative organization.

Advice to Senior Management

You're doing a great job. Don't lose the focus on people.

Pros

We have a relatively flexible schedule including summer flex time, average pay in the industry and similar benefits. Rohm and Haas is a pretty reputable company.

Cons

There is lacking leadership training and professional development internally. The good ol' boys' network is very strong, and its incredibly difficult to be different. Too much red tape to be very innovative. And then there's the possible merger or sale to Dow Chemical looming in Q1 2009.

Advice to Senior Management

I would suggest they be more fair person to person... get rid of old boys' network and value diversity more than they do.

Pros

Very flexible with work schedule, excellent benefits good annual bonuses (sometimes). Generally, Rohm and Haas employees are very smart, capable people that are willing to help you whenever possible. Overall, Rohm and Haas hires good, honest people and if you share those traits you will find a lot of friends.

Cons

Salary is somewhat lagging relative to peers, there are many employees that are nearing the end of their career and "blocking" the younger generation from entering management roles. Networking can be difficult unless you are located at one of Rohm and Haas' Delaware Valley locations. Rohm and Haas is a very risk-averse culture that is often slow to act. Many senior technical employees are eventually promoted to middle managers, which is often beyond their personal abilities. The result is a parental culture and one which values the status quo above all else.

Advice to Senior Management

Not much to say at this point, assuming the Dow transaction closes. Continue to communicate as much as possible, be honest and direct, even if it means telling people their job will be eliminated.

Pros

Commutable, great peers and working relationships.

Cons

Disconnected management from lower level employees. Difficult to get training or advancement. No career paths. Lack of morale made worse by acquisition.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more sensitive to staff feelings during acquisition. Share more information earlier,