Stratasys Employee Reviews about "3d printing"

Pros

- Access to cutting edge (and very expensive) 3D printing technology, FREE. - "start up" culture with a lot of opportunities to learn new skills, softwares, etc. - Working with industry leading clients is really cool - every customer uses their printer for applications that are equally unique and fascinating. - Fun work environment & lots of opportunities to engage with coworkers both during work and after... work If you are a positive person who can handle a fast-paced work environment, Stratasys is a great place for you.

Cons

3D Printing as an Industry moves fast. So does Stratasys. Some reviews below seem to come from people uncomfortable with slight ambiguity and a fast-moving industry. Like any large company, there will be frustrations with beurocracy and processes. However, Fast Pace + Ambiguity = Opportunity for Employees.

Pros

If you love mechanical engineering, this place has a lot of interesting challenges for you. You can work with an international team. The office and culture are great. Stratasys is a leader in the 3D printing industry - you have access to 3D printers, the company is going through a lot of improvements.

Cons

Too many stakeholders in different locations. Too many different projects at the same time. Directions from the management aren't always clear.

Pros

I was given a couple projects that my manager wanted me to work on, but I was also given the freedom to work on other projects that I thought were interesting and follow my own curiosity. The engineers were very willing to teach me new skills and help me learn more about plastics compounding/formulation and integration with 3D printing. HR set up several lunch & learns and other fun intern events to help interns... learn about the business and get to know each other.

Cons

Pay is not very high for an engineering internship, but it pays the rent.

Pros

I have worked at Stratasys for about six months. In my time here, there has been constant change. Some are frightened with this change. However, with change comes many opportunities. I have been both enlightened and challenged in my time here. Being a fresh college graduate, I thrive off the fast paced environment and workload. My colleagues make it very enjoyable to come to work each day. One of my favorite... memories so far working here is participating in "Stratasys in the Schools." Hundreds of employees had the opportunity to go into the community to teach Kindergarten - High School students about 3D printing. One memory that stands out is a 3rd grader said "Wow, you guys are really changing the world." She could have not said it any better-while we have lots of change, we are also making strides to make the world inside Stratasys and outside a better place to be. We have the right leaders in place to take Stratasys to the next level!

Cons

If you want to work at Stratasys, you must be a team player; willingly and able to help with the change. We cannot take Stratasys to the next level without EVERYONE.

Advice to Management

I enjoy the quarterly Town Halls where we not only hear from leaders but also businesses around the Twin Cities who are using our products. As we stabilize in the change, I believe we will be unstoppable. Direction and expectations are clearly laid out and reinforced through our monthly newsletters, Town Halls, and other communications.

Pros

The 3D printing technologies and industry are undeniably exciting, as are the potential future applications and growth opportunities. It's easy to see and feel good about how Stratasys solutions address current problems in manufacturing, health care and education throughout the world. And while Stratasys' leadership position in this space isn't guaranteed (and seems to be fading) there's a strong sense of pride and... motivation that comes from working for an industry leader (being on the "winning team").

Cons

Too many to cover in detail: -Management in general (specifically North America sales management (toxic), global product management (incompetent) and the entire c-suite including the CEO, CFO and CMO). They exhibit a lack of focus and genuine appreciation for employees. Each has his/her own political agenda. -Too many changing and conflicting priorities. -HR does not serve the people; rather, HR serves only the... agendas and needs of executive management. The HR business partners in the US can't be trusted. -Talent development is non-existent. Promotions are politically motivated and based on favoritism. -Benefits, specifically salaries, are below average. And there are deficits in the pay, treatment and opportunities afforded to women. -Very little work-life balance if you want to be considered an employee that just meets expectations. -Slow to innovate, slow to market. -Recruitment process and treatment of job candidates is embarrassing (just ask anyone who has interviewed with Stratasys in the last year). -Treatment of employees that leave the company is equally embarrassing and disappointing. Falsehoods and rumors are spread about employees who quit on their own. Exit interviews are inconsistent - you're lucky if you're given one, and if you are, don't expect anything to be done with your feedback (in other words, they aren't worth the time). ...There are many more cons not mentioned but in listing them all I'd be wasting more of my time than I care to. Also, as others have mentioned beware of the more recent positive reviews here. The company actually has a "strategy" to combat the negative Glassdoor reviews by having a few select, current employees submit overly positive reviews with exaggerations about how great the current state really is.

Advice to Management

Wake up! Practice introspective. Be humble. LISTEN to the feedback of employees and then take ACTION. Hire management with emotional intelligence (a clear lack of this in the North America region today). Exit management that is crude, toxic and/or incompetent. Treat employees with respect, including respect of a work-life balance. Stop the pattern of doing more with less, and instead do less with more and do it well...... FOCUS. Prioritize. And stick to a plan for longer than a quarter. Work harder to build a positive work environment and overall culture, and realize that this requires more than hanging tag lines and posters on the walls, and putting on town hall presentations. It's about really connecting with people - employees and customers. Reinvest in the people and they will reinvest back in the company, leading to new innovations, increased output, and stronger performance overall.

Pros

Interesting industry and interesting technology.

Cons

An old-school culture of expecting long hours to get noticed by management, even if you are an efficient employee. Management is very aggressive and manages with a more pressure = more results mentality...no matter the collateral damage. The culture is completely broken and the best way for them to get results would be to actually listen to employees and take action on what they heard. Most promises of taking action... are not fulfilled. 3D printing is one of the hottest industries, but Stratasys feels like you are working for a slow miserable Fortune 100 in a dated office environment from the 90s. Not in line with energy of the industry at all or what you might expect from a new industry. This company really loves to mess around with your compensation. Lots of changes that sometimes happen with 1 month left to the quarter. Most "Strategic" decisions made by management are changed in <3 months before it's possible to see if those strategies were even successful. Lots of management changes with each manager promising to fix the company, but none are willing to listen to the employees and make the hard decisions (ironically they all claim they are listening). Lots of big egos in the company who think chest pounding and bragging about their career success is the same as leading.

Advice to Management

Set realistic goals, stop changing compensation, treat employees like people, stop managing the company like it's some large generic corporate behemoth and build something unique instead...have some guts to stand out.

Pros

3D printing is truly cutting edge technology. My coworkers are fantastic and we have a strong sense of teamwork. Seeing the impact of our work on the world is something to be proud of.

Cons

No new hires despite massive layoffs. Management direction is shady at best. No clear goals or data to drive our numbers in my department. We come in every day assuming we will be let go and this is not just my thought. Data is skewed due to poor software but it's all we have to go off of. Too many things for not enough people. Managers can be found behind closed doors typically. Senior management is... approachable but feed you feel-good answers and party lines. No one walks around here with a smile anymore. We all feel pressure but we need to be a team, not blaming people over emails and protecting our hides from who knows what.

Advice to Management

Hire people before you need people. Don't be afraid to talk to your employees. Talk to us once in a while.

Pros

3D printing is an exciting technology that is still in early adoption phase. The sky is the limit.

Cons

There are a lot of unknowns in 3D printing and this can make for a difficult company to manage. Particularly after a merger of 2 very different companies with very different cultures.

Advice to Management

Strong leadership is needed in both US and IL. Employees need confidence in leadership and need to see leadership in action.