Volvo Trucks Reviews

Pros

global company, sweden company, automotive industry, strong focus on Asia, travel, good training, good process, good people, personal competence building

Cons

Volvo, as the world leading commercial vehicle company, really shall speed up on the activities for Asia, even though with strong ambition already.

Advice to Senior Management

Volvo shall and will fully speed to excute the implementaiton of the new organization, to make sure a quick decison making.

Pros

Great benefits
I like the truck business
Lots of international travel

Cons

Management is very disrespectful to most employees
Management competence limited in many areas

Work at Volvo in Hagerstown for over 10 years. I was able to learn a lot and I kept my job through the recession, which I am grateful for. On the downside was some spectacularly poor management. The plant manager, who was appointed in 2011 is an intelligent man but he is a poor leader. Many people were either in or out with him as soon as he took charge. The logisitcs dept was out and we have all left. Many were colleagues whom I have a great deal of respect for. The plant mgr and his staff are not a competant group to run a facility like Hagerstown. I have worked at some exceptional companies and this is not one of them. Intimidation is often the leadership tool of choice.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on the things that really matter based on data, not perceptions or biases.
You will get more from your people if they feel it's safe to take a chance, safe to amke a mistake and learn from. Management by intimidation does not result in optimized organizations. Your best people are leaving you.

Pros

Stable company
Good employees to work with
Large company
Gave me start in industry

Cons

Low pay
Bad managment decisions
Shocking treatment of some workers
Bad conditions and left, even though they offered alternatives and payrises for me to stay
I was dedicated to the company, unfortunately they were dedicated to bottom line and management.
Bad place to work

Advice to Senior Management

Give payrises, and look at your moral stance.

Pros

Overall its a good place to work. They have a good medical plan, with pention, and oppurnity to grow if you wish to work internationally.

Cons

I feel overall there is more responsbility given to you compared to similar jobs at other companies. But overall for this area not a bad place to work

Advice to Senior Management

Recently due to changes with upper management there is no clear path the company is traveling in. We need to re group and have everyone in management take 1 clear path.

Pros

Great learning environment
Friendly co-worders that helps you a lot
Flexible work hours.
Great location, next to DC area. With not too expensive living standard
Great place for college interns who wants to gain experience

Cons

Union plant, Not too easy to work with operators
Disorganized management
Some old facilities, Not too good cafe
Relative small manufacturing plant. About 1.5 M square feet

Advice to Senior Management

The management at Volvo Powertrain really need to figure out a better way to facilitiate communication among different departments. It also should reduce the chaos which draws people away from the company

Pros

Volvo Brand,
New latest technology
Exposure to various World Regions and opportunity to learn different approaches for them.

Cons

Overall when it comes to Career growth, Experience is given preference over performance.
Various policies were previously more based on the terms of Production dept. Now some changes are done to take into consideration the preferences of policies as in other IT companies.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should take into consideration the Achieved Goals and performance than the number of years in experience.

Pros

- Good pay and benefits
- Life/Work can be taken

Cons

- Swedish parent company tighten control over North American operations
- Managers have accountability but rarely authority to execute taking
- Working relationships are not encouraged - meetings even for attendees in the same building are phone conferences

Advice to Senior Management

- Delegate and allow authority to execute position accountability
- Work on developing a culture of trust

Pros

good pay
good benefits
pension
employees are proud of what Volvo stands for
good life/work balance when needed, but long hours regularly put in at other times to get the job done

Cons

Good ole boy network at executive levels
Company president rotated about every 3-4 years and each brings their own management style and priorities
Company presidents must be from Sweden corporate headquarters
The Swedes and the North Americans don't trust each other, don't understand each other
Very cyclical industry and during downturns there will be lay offs
Executives often at odds with dealers and won't own up to problems in product quality

Advice to Senior Management

For the most part the VPs know what needs to be done, they just don't know how to or feel that they can implement it as they work for the man from sweden.

Pros

Professional, emphasis on learning new methods & Technologies

Cons

Too much of Process time.

Advice to Senior Management

Efficient processes and tools

Pros

Solid company and Financially Strong, Worldwide ,market.

Cons

KPI Driven per department which at times conflict.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on the Customer. Focus on the top 20% of your departments goals to achieve the best results.