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Vulcan Reviews
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Full-timePart-timeApprove of CEO
Bill Hilf
15 Ratings
Pros
"The diversity of projects means never a dull moment, and there is a philanthropic and impact-driven bent to almost everything" (in 6 reviews)
"Good benefits and small turnover rate" (in 10 reviews)
Cons
"Some areas seem to have better work/life balance than others - but such is the risk with such a diverse organization working on such different projects" (in 11 reviews)
"Upper management plays favorites" (in 5 reviews)
- Featured Review
Helpful (3)
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"Amazing experiences faced paced"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at Vulcan full-time (More than a year)
Pros
The people are amazing. You'll find yourself sitting next to a rocket scientist or a movie producer and realize that you work at the same company. There's always an interesting project to work on.
Cons
You sometimes don't have enough time or people to get things done. I feel like management underestimates how much time it takes to finish a project. I only left because of personal reasons not because of the job.
Advice to Management
Some of the new exec team members seem to be really interested in making Vulcan better. Don't lose site of that.
Vulcan 2017-10-12 19:54 PDT ![Vulcan Logo]()
"Never a Dull Moment"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookNo opinion of CEOI have been working at Vulcan full-time (More than 5 years)
Pros
Great Pay, diverse Ideas and Issues, great perks such as Movie nights, and sporting event tickets
Cons
Strange Hours, and moving goalposts when it comes to pleasing the only person that matters at Vulcan
Advice to Management
pay attention to non management employees that keep the company running , instead of the yes people you have surrounded yourself with
Vulcan 2018-06-08 17:55 PDTHelpful (1)
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"Lots to love"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Vulcan full-time
Pros
Good pay and benefits, passionate people, incredibly rewarding work
Cons
Some mid level managers and directors are extremely cliqueish. Many have come from industries or companies where cut-throat techniques were the norm, and we don't need that at Vulcan.
Being an abusive jerk might get you somewhere at Blue Origin or Microsoft or Space X, but it has absolutely no place at Vulcan. If you can't leave your ego at the door, go work somewhere else.Advice to Management
There are some good people at the top and botttom of this company, you need to look hard at your directors and managers. When a team is filled with the friends and acquaintences of the director/manager from their prior jobs, you're building a small Microsoft or Amazon or Blue Origin team, not a Vulcan team.
Vulcan 2018-01-07 00:02 PSTHelpful (6)
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"The Illusion of Work"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI worked at Vulcan full-time (More than a year)
Pros
As a software engineer, I was afforded the opportunity to learn in several new fields.
Salary was slightly above average.Cons
Abysmal morale. Engineers are rarely promoted or encouraged to self-organize. The manager to engineer ratio is incredibly large.
Management is constantly churning and the new managers are brought in from the outside, never promoted up from within. Groups working in niche fields built up capabilities only to have their efforts redirected by whoever the latest manager was who had no domain expertise. Managers were brought in based on their credentials at the biggest tech companies but the strategies they learned there were inappropriate to the size, scope, and audience of Vulcan projects. Imagine a 2 person 6 month research project. Now bring in 3 managers who insist on making the prototype 'enterprise grade', halting progress. Be sure to berate the engineers on their way out. Projects managers focus more on reporting progress than progressing. I've never been at an organization which spends the amount of effort this one does to tell employees how great it is to work there. I wish I left sooner.Vulcan 2018-01-02 09:46 PSTHelpful (9)
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"Lives up to its local reputation"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI have been working at Vulcan full-time (Less than a year)
Pros
Vulcan is several orgs in one. It seems to be a good place to work if you work in operations (e.g. shipping, reception), admin support, divisions where there’s a clear profit motive (e.g. real estate, investment), and divisions run by executives who enjoy favor with the owner (currently government affairs, productions). I’ve gotten mixed signals about Aerospace.
There is a collegial peer-to-peer culture at the professional and admin levels. People across the organization are willing to help you, even if they don’t know you well.
The company has some fun perks, like free movie nights and generous Friday happy hours. Halloween is a lot fun.Cons
Vulcan is an impossible place work if you work in areas that are subject to the whims of the owner (e.g. technology, philanthropy, productions) or divisions run by executives who have fallen out of favor with the owner (e.g. philanthropy, which turns over managers at the rate of about one per year).
It's hard to convey to outsiders how chaotically and arbitrarily Vulcan is managed, and how permanent and unfixable that situation is. It helps to keep in mind that the company is really a multi-faceted personal services firm built around the interests of its owner, who is famously self-indulgent, unfocused and inscrutable. Executives live or die by their ability to discern and satisfy his wants, a skill that few master and fewer sustain for more than a few years. Professional staff live or die by their ability to help their executives satisfy those wants. “We serve at the pleasure of [the owner]” is an often-repeated office adage.
There is much frustrated talent inside the company.Advice to Management
For current management: Seek more diverse managers and staff. (Vulcan is nearly all white at all levels.)
For prospective managerial and professional hires: Research the family and company history very carefully, talk to former employees (current ones will equivocate) and, if you still decide to accept an offer, engage a labor attorney to help you negotiate terms, including severance, before signing on.Vulcan 2018-01-15 14:43 PST![Vulcan Logo]()
"Director"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Vulcan full-time
Pros
I have never worked with the diversity of projects/industries that I have encountered at Vulcan. The experience has been invaluable to my professional development. Executive leadership is invested in providing communications and tools to support the employee/teams towards productivity. While some of the nuances need to be refined, the direction is on target.
Cons
If you like defined problems and a narrow swim lane of work, this is not the place for you.
Advice to Management
Keep up the recent focus to improve communication and tools for the organization.
Vulcan 2017-12-04 12:34 PSTHelpful (12)
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"Work here at your own peril!"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookDisapproves of CEOI worked at Vulcan full-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Clearly good at getting people to write “fake” positive review so they’re at least capable of that. Free movies and sporting events but that doesn’t make up for a toxic work environment.
Cons
The whole place is a con — about what is done, impact of the work, and how employees are treated.
Advice to Management
Stop drinking your own koolaid , you can fool some people some of the time but not all people all of the time.
Vulcan 2017-11-02 08:16 PDTHelpful (10)
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"SEATTLE AVIATION"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI worked at Vulcan full-time
Pros
The best thing about this place to work is the compensation package. I was paid very well and had a great 401K match and terrific health benefits.
Cons
Too many to list here. Management treats employees with complete and utter disrespect. The job I signed up for was not the one that existed when I arrived. It was a complete bait and switch just to get an employee....they are so desperate for employees that they sign you up with bogus promises and make you sign a commitment contract. Once you have signed your life away for a specific time frame (it varies on a case by case basis), then they have you and treat you as they wish. It is so bad there that the best thing I could say is RUN.
Advice to Management
The management in the flight department ALL needs to be replaced. It is the most abusive, disrespectful atmosphere one can possible imagine. Until that is done, the turnover will be high...as always.
Vulcan 2017-10-19 12:26 PDTHelpful (1)
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"Good Company"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at Vulcan full-time (More than 8 years)
Pros
Profit sharing and matching 401k
Cons
Need to allow a better work life balance
Advice to Management
Increase ability of employees for Work life balance
Vulcan 2017-08-16 10:40 PDTHelpful (2)
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"Finance"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Vulcan full-time
Pros
Great company culture, a lot of opportunities to work on diverse projects, good benefits, strong leadership team.
Cons
Salary is not as competitive as other large companies in the area
Advice to Management
Continue approving communication across teams
Vulcan 2017-07-14 18:41 PDT
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