Koch Industries Reviews

Pros

Worked at Koch a decade in four separate Koch companies. Company culture is solid. Never once, in ten years, have I seen something I considered immoral or illegal. Good people - mostly midwestern. Koch doesn't recruit from Ivy League for a reason. People here care about their families and work good hours. Parking lot is nearly empty by 5:30 pm each day.

With so many subsidiaries, there is ample opportunity to change companies, cities, and/or roles. Unless you're a Director-level role or higher, most people are moving around every 2-3 years.

Koch is seeing a lot of baby boomer retirements, and a lot of millennials are coming in the door. Huge intern program (200+ interns each summer). Koch is responding fairly well to this and permitting individual teams/companies to be flexible as needed with millennial demands, however, this place is nowhere near a "start-up" culture. Dress is business-casual, most people are in cubes, there are no beanbags, no gym, no dogs at work.

If you live in Wichita and work at Koch HQ: pay is higher than local comparables, and cost of living is dirt cheap. This is a GREAT combination.

Koch cares very much for its employees. I've seen countless examples of Koch bending over backwards for people and their personal lives - illnesses, death in family, natural disaster, raising funds, charity work. It's really incredible.

Open door policy - I have zero doubt that, right now, I could walk into Mr. Koch's office with a concern or idea and he would welcome me with a huge smile. Management here is so receptive and so kind. It's very humbling.

Pros

Easily the best place I've ever worked. It's an engaging, respectful workplace. And they really want you to succeed. They want you to learn and be successful. Charles Koch says that "anyone can make more than their boss at Koch Industries," and it's really true. A lot of jobs out there will try to steal your time and effort and not recognize you for it. Koch, on the other hand, wants to enable you to be successful and make money. The company's ideal vision for you is that you're a rockstar and they're just coming along for the ride.

I saw a lot of reviews on here that were talking about bad work/life when I first applied, but those aren't true of most departments. This is very much an 8-5 and leave early on Friday type of office.

I cannot stress enough how awesome it is to work here.

Advice to Management

Keep it up - this is the best company I've ever worked for.

Pros

There is no "flavor of the month" management philosophy at Koch. If you want to know what it's like to work here, read Good Profit - the company runs from the top down by Mr. Koch's management and leadership philosophy. Can you find exceptions? With many companies and many managers, of course some are better than others - but in general, those exceptions don't last too long.

If you want personal responsibility, room to grow, constant challenges, and the means to meet those challenges, this is the place for you. Bring your work ethic and your intelligence - you'll need them both to succeed - but if you bring them, the company rewards real contribution and recognizes that contribution when they see it.

I've worked in IT in Fortune 500 companies for 30 years. I've seen absolutely nothing like this anywhere else, and I won't be looking for something outside Koch to finish my career. There's no short term thinking, no stupid antics to hit quarterly or annual numbers, and no bureaucratic nonsense that doesn't add value.

Advice to Management

If you want to keep up this rate of change and innovation, you're going to have to run just a little bit less lean for a while. You don't get innovation out of people who don't have time to think. Throw a few contractors at run and maintain, and focus your employees on making things change at the rate you want to see.

Pros

Great salary, stable company, innovative

Advice to Management

follow all of the MBM principles to the fullest not just when it suits your needs and agenda. Be honest and have integrity and allow everyone to utilize the challenge process fairly without fear of repercussion or being terminated.

Pros

Overall, Koch Industries and many of its subsidiary companies represent most of the positive reviews reflected on this page. Stable, forward thinking, rewarding place to work in many portions of the company. MBM is a business philosophy I will take with me throughout my career. However, there are pockets and subsidiaries that do not reflect Koch's culture and give the company a bad name.

Advice to Management

Advice to Management:

The KES management team needs to be removed and replaced. The micro-culture that has been created there is toxic and results in value destruction at Koch Industries. Look at how many people who have been recruited from other Koch companies to join KES only to leave Koch a few years later for other companies. Promote managers who have demonstrated managerial skills.

Pros

Great coworkers for the most part. Everyone is really dedicated to getting the sale and working together to get the job done

Advice to Management

treat your employees better

Pros

Everything going on from a technology perspective is very exciting (moved everything to the cloud, HCM implementation across Koch, RPA COE, Data Analytics COE, etc.) Seems like it all started with the acquisition of Molex and then from there the company has invested a lot both internally and externally through the investments in Infor, acquisition of Birst, EFT Analytics, I360, etc.

I came through the internship program and have had several opportunities to move from Wichita and to other companies. Their focus on emerging technology and the company culture is what has kept me at the company. I have a lot of other friends that talk about their work experiences and I am truly lucky to work at Koch. Market Based Management when applied well, is a VERY powerful tool.

Advice to Management

Listen to the market and put more focus on certain benefits like work flexibility, vacation, maternity leave, etc. This will help ensure we are attracting and retaining entrepreneurial and innovative talent.

Not everyone practices MBM well. Just making sure that when that does happen, feedback is given, and if we don't see change that tough decisions are being made. MBM is what makes Koch so great, so when it isn't practiced well it can be destructive. Luckily, I have seen these issues taken care (even at the leadership level) pretty quickly.

Pros

the salaries are great and the downtown locations are accessible via public transportation if you choose not to drive

Pros

Great atmosphere, great products, comfortable environment. Wonderful vision and purpose with a product that really makes a difference in the world.

Advice to Management

Do what it takes to grow and expand the business. Become more employer friendly. Participate in community projects and be a better corporate citizen.

Pros

Newer technicians will be able to learn new technologies
You are able to learn while working if you have the drive
You will be able to travel occasionally for projects.

Advice to Management

If you are laying off an employee, please consider giving them a notice so they can have their affairs in order.