Pros
Smart, dedicated people; well-known adhesive brand (Loctite); opportunities for international assignments and mentoring (but only if you're identified as "high potential").
Cons
It's not a good sign when the new head of HR at Henkel leaves after only a year. The company has become an increasingly difficult place to work, for many reasons: - Henkel considers the U.S. a "mature market," which means they want profits but don't want to invest in the business. Headcount and budgets have been shrinking for years. - Big decisions are made in Germany with little regard for the impact on the U.S. or other regions. - Waves of layoffs and early retirements have drained the company of institutional knowledge and hurt morale. - Poor work-life balance. Remaining employees are overworked and stressed out. - Too much focus on short-term financial results. Training and travel budgets are regularly cut to meet quarterly numbers. - Technology is cumbersome and outdated. - Support functions like accounts payable are offshored to low wage countries like the Philippines with predictably chaotic results. - Raises are meager. Annual performance review system forces managers to rank employees in a bell curve regardless of their actual job performance.