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

Great culture for change and innovation. Great people to work with.

Pros

Treated as an individual, not just a number despite being 120,000+ employees. You know where you stand because you are constantly given feedback on what you are doing well and where you could be improving to do even better. We operate off of guidelines, not policies, wherever possible to allow for free thinking and focus on the most important items.

Advice to Management

Continue to invest in leadership that is passionate about people, this makes the biggest difference. Work on the speed of change, each situation will require a different pace, make sure to treat them appropriately.

Pros

Flat structure. Working in a trading groups allowed a lot flexibility.

Pros

The culture is outstanding and pay is based on value creation.

Pros

Great place to work. Tons of opportunity for advancement.

Pros

I'm a former Vice President within a KCTG business unit. I felt compelled to respond to a post by an anonymous Wichita employee that posted "Good people - mostly Midwestern. Koch doesn't recruit from Ivy League for a reason. People here care about their families and work good hours. " I would reply that Koch Industries hires on the basis of values-not on the basis of one's Alma Mater. I am currently enrolled in a Masters' Degree program at Brown University (yes, Ivy League) and any one of my colleagues have the requisite value set to be a Koch employee. To state that Koch doesn't recruit or hire Ivy League graduates is a contradiction to Koch's principles.

Pros

The retirement program is excellent if you can make it to retirement on a mediocre salary.
Hours are great. Work load is typically fairly light.

Advice to Management

Encourage a respectful work place.

Pros

great employees to work with

Advice to Management

practice what you preach in your MBM

Pros

Great people, great pay, good benefits