A cult with no leadership - Anonymous employee Mars Employee Review

1.0
Apr 18, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Hard to think about a single one.

Cons

A Management Team with no idea of what leadership means, people talking beyond one's back like in high school, people volunteering to give you a straight feedback but unwilling to take yours, a persistent sense of complacency and that what has worked well until today will work well tomorrow too. A lot of celebrations and silly events for average business results just to pretend that everything's fine and to keep everybody's moral high enough just to hide that things do not move in the proper direction. Lot of office politics, one can advance if there are enough "connections", no matter how good one is, results come second, recommendations and personal preferences come first (so be careful with whom you drink your morning coffee). The 5 principles, hanged on every single wall, are just what they are: nice principles written on a piece of paper, nobody lives them, the more people talks about them (a nice cover to hide a lot of shortcomings), the less they stick to them. Sometimes one can have the impression to have just joined a cult. Pretentious ("how good we are" is a frequent background noise) and ridiculous (they use old systems and processes, working nowadays like major competitors did 15-20 years ago, and still keep on thinking that they are among the best...).

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5.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Iconic brands, privately held/family owned, principle based, and relationship based culture.

Cons

Slow decision making. High ratio of recruitment of Sr. Leaders from external companies conflicting with culture.

5.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I’ve been at Mars (Yorkville site) for about three months as a Quality Systems Senior Specialist, and so far it’s been a great experience. Everyone has been genuinely friendly, welcoming, and willing to help. The culture feels very supportive—people want to see you succeed and are quick to share knowledge and offer guidance. My manager has been amazing and is truly invested in my growth. She’s helped set clear expectations, encouraged development, and provided the tools and support I need to be successful.

Cons

None so far—still new, but my experience has been very positive.

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