Swagelok Reviews

Pros

-Each morning, most laborers have a meeting with shift leaders and floor managers about changes, problems, and statistics for the day. Great communication in each department.
- Ideas and suggestions are encouraged; all ideas are submitted to a company-wide contest each year for best idea; winner receives large cash award
-Great pay, even as a temp, the pay for a machinist is extremely competitive. Insurance and benefits package is competitive.
- No one is talked down to, entry-level positions are just as important as upper level office managers, respect shown to all employees
- They allow non-offensive tattoos, and more recently in the past few years, facial hair on men and jewelry that doesn't present a hazard for women. Uniforms are provided as well as safety glasses and tools needed to complete your job.
- Good feedback on job performance. Rock music and oldies play in the shop departments. Great atmosphere to work in. Very professional staff.
-Paid training, paid company update and stockholders meetings, quarterly paid meetings with the uppermost management on the company's status, expansions, etc. PAID LUNCH hour if you stay on company property.
-All departments have at least one employee who is has worked for the company for 30+ years; low turnover amongst hired-in employees (does not apply for temp workers), guaranteed raises and company will match 401(k) contribution
-Provide FREE soda, water, coffee, bagels, fruits, and other small refreshments 24/7 for the employees... small gesture that really goes unnoticed but is really nice of them. Hundreds of workers rely on the bagels and fruit for lunch every day.
-Tons of overtime available for hired-in employees. I personally average 20 hours a week.
-There is room for advancement, with paid training on machines. CNC training is provided to workers who show promise. Encourages longtime employees to switch departments, move ahead, and even continue education at university if desired

Cons

-No smoking on campus, not even in your car in the parking lot.
-Attendance: as a temp, you cannot miss any days. Once hired in, they are pretty strict about taking time off outside of your vacation/sick leave.
-Constant monitoring of work performance: can be stressful, must keep performance steady
-Reluctant to hire temp workers in; long temporary period of at least six months
-Training in each department varies, some classes provided are too general, some departments have temp workers training other temps due to workload pressure put on senior/high-ranked employees
-Some employees who have worked here for many years (more than 20) get away with light bending of rules/attendance; Swagelok HR seems a little detached from inner-department workings; small HR department struggles to handle large amount of employees
-Overtime is limited for temp employees, in the recent economy, not offered at all.

Advice to Senior Management

Staff the HR department with more employees, and rely on inner-company HR to handle more issues over shift leads/shop managers and temp agencies. Use a different temp agency other than Reserves Network. Bring back a family day/campus tour for families; people take pride in their work here and the company fun day is missed. Assure training standards are always being met, regardless of workloads and orders for the months. Do not hire many employees at one time, as done recently due to economy, putting strain on individual departments. More feedback for temps on when they will be hired in. Other than that, nothing. Swagelok was started in a garage of a house and now it's grown into a powerful machine. Who am I to criticize? Haha.

Pros

401k match
Free bagels, fruit and soda

Cons

Doesnt matter your qualifications unless you are friends with management and honor their every wish

Advice to Senior Management

Have upper management work some lower level jobs for a week a year to develop respect between salary and hourly.

Pros

Company used scenario based interview questions. Semi Accurate description of present situation
Management wanted new ideas and agreed to support the implementation of those plans.

Cons

Bait and switch. The accuracy in problem description was less than honest. When new strategies were supplied, the senior management was completely unsupportive and critical of the same ideas they liked in the interview process.

Advice to Senior Management

Work on integrity. If you want change to occur, you have to plant a foundation of support for that. Not just give lip service to ideas.

Pros

The benefits are very good

Cons

Attendance is very important...If I'm out too long, I fall behind and the cutsomer needs will not be satisfied.

Advice to Senior Management

Leadership has been noiced alot more lately...I see them walking amongst the laborers and seem to care about how the shop works and try hard to make it an even better place to work..I would have to say, Lets have more off campus, fun get together's...

Pros

Supportive culture...quality people, product. A company that values its employees and knows that it translates to motiviated workforce. I have had several other jobs but this is the best.

Cons

Business environment may be too conservative for some. Certain job roles are restricted to Northeast Ohio, so any relocation is not likely.

Advice to Senior Management

Thank you for encouraging a positive work environment!

Pros

1. Brand name that sells by itself with minimal marketing effort.
2. Flexibility in work process and time
3. Established name and company with strong hold in major industries
4. High quality products that outlasts competition
5. Well paid

Cons

1. Monotonous
2. Lack of career growth opportunity
3. Lack of personal touch with Management
4. Reduced challenges due to brand name selling by itself
5. Non-visibility and transparency of company performance
6. Rigidity in pricing
7. Lack decision making autonomy

Advice to Senior Management

Allow cross regional distribution conferences and create closer rapport between Principal and Distributors.

Pros

Stable company, great product range and training

Cons

low income , long hours occasionally

Advice to Senior Management

respect your employees