The Emperor Has No Clothes - Manager Lutron Electronics Employee Review

2.0
Dec 15, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The best thing about working at Lutron is that the company does a great job recruiting top talent. Nearly everyone at the company is very smart, talented, and hard working. They are also just good people, who are fun to work with. The company puts a premium on R and D; as a private company, they don't have to answer to shareholders, and therefore can invest in innovation at much higher levels. Lutron products are high quality. In times of personal hardship, Lutron takes care of its people. The company prides itself on never having had a layoff, and is extremely loyal to long standing employees.

Cons

Unfortunately, the 83 year old founder of the company still runs things. And little has changed in the management practices, policies, and organization since he founded the company by inventing the first solid state dimmer switch in the early 60's. The founder surrounds himself with enablers who he trusts, and they in turn carry out his whims--and rarely, if ever, tell him "no." There is no strategic planning to speak of, and while R and D is a strength, there is little development based on market needs. Market research is non-existent. Human Resources is actually called "Personnel," and not surprisingly, there is no professional HR leadership in the areas of compensation, organizational effectiveness, career development, and performance management. Further, the organization is completely decentralized, and organizations spring up or disappear based on the priority of the month. There is little understanding by senior leadership of the value of strategic Information Technology, so the network infrastructure is stuck in the 90s. Lastly, in keeping with management practices of the 60s, there is very little effective communications from senior leadership to employees.

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5.0
Jun 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits and growth opportunities

Cons

None that I can think of

1.0
Mar 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

— Legitimate portfolio work: the role involved a full website overhaul and product PDP writing, which has real value on a CV — The company name carries weight and looks good on paper

Cons

Pay was consistently late — sometimes by three weeks. No explanation, no heads up, no acknowledgment of the stress this creates for contractors who don't have the luxury of waiting indefinitely for money they've already earned. On the day-to-day side: we were required to produce detailed logs of everything we did — long, tedious activity lists that served no clear purpose and ate into actual work time. The broader culture was captured perfectly in a phrase that came up regularly in stakeholder meetings: "I won't fall on my sword" or "I won't die on that hill" — or some variation of it. Upper management had a consistent habit of deflecting accountability downward onto contract workers, who had the least power and the least protection. When things went wrong, contractors were the convenient explanation. When things went right, that credit traveled elsewhere. If you're considering a contract role here, get your payment schedule in writing and ask very specific questions about how your manager operates. What's described as a flexible, collaborative environment may look quite different once you're in it.

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