POET reviews

4.2

82% would recommend to a friend

(454 total reviews)
avatar

Jeff Broin

93% approve of CEO

88% positive business outlook

POET has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 454 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The POET employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Energy, Mining & Utilities industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

454 reviews
1.0
Apr 27, 2011

autocratic

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Usually located in rural areas with few employment opportunities, it is a job. They do have health insurance and some vacation hours. You are not likely to be injured. but you will hate them for it.

Cons

Oh so many. Ridiculus non-compete agreement, which the lawyer I showed mine to said that the way the language was on it, they could try to go after you anywhere in the entire world. Not saying they could. Been there a long time, seen a devolution in the treatment of employees. Poet has three mantras plastered everywhere. " We are all on the same team." truth: management are the bosses, they tell you what to do and you are expected to shut up and do it or you will be reminded. " We park our egos at the door"; truth: you are expected to park your ego at the door, the managements is alive and well, they have the power and you may be fired at any time. " We always over-communicate." truth: shut up and listen, we will tell you what you are supposed to know and only to the "right" people. Middle management people "salaried" are treated like slaves. Poet treats people more like things they own then folks working together toward a common goal who have something to contribute. Salaried employees are hired at the lowest possible dollar and given a ton of work, the expectation is far more than a person can even get done in a 50 hour week. Salaried employees are expected to give and give and receive no perks, no comp time. They will work 11 hour days at least, and if they want a day off are expected to use vacation hours and leaving early is like the devil. Moving up is decentivized due to what amounts to a pay cut for hours worked. Stingy vacation that tops out at 3 weeks per year which you have to accumulate. maximum of like 1 day per month of accumulating. doesn't matter if you've been there for 20 years. which is rare because everyone bails. Vacation hours have to be taken in 4 hour increments if you have vacation hours available you must use them, so you have to burn a half a day just to go to a dr or dental appointment (including salaried employees). Safety culture is something they shove down your throat which makes everyone want to hide any paper cut they might receive lest they will have to wear some new ridiculus ppe for their entire rest of their lives, due to overreaction. There are measures that have been put into place in the recent history which are going to encourage bad behavior, goals that are not dependant upon the reality of the worksite. Moral at the plant where I work is very bad, it would be unfair to say that it's the same at every site and this is just my opinion for what it's worth.

2.0
Jan 14, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The best reason is the fact that it is a green industry. Other than that its all about the home office. If you don't let them know every move you make or keep you cell phone on you are FIRED.

Cons

Never any personal time. If you are in management you never get a weekend off. You are not compensated for working 60-70 hrs a week. Come on Jeff how about your best resource THE PEOPLE....?

1.0
Sep 14, 2010

Don't work for Poet

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

decent pay for the area, most coworkers at the plant level are competent, mid level management wants employees to succeed.

Cons

no work/life balance, no opportunity for growth, once you take a job with POET you are either a lifer or looking for another job. POET makes all of their employees sign a very broad non-compete, which basically says you can't work for another ethanol company anywhere POET MAY POTENTIALLY do business. constantly threatens and berates lower level employees with termination. Employee turnover rate extremely high. Senior management personnel don't even follow their own mantra(Teamwork, Communication, Leave Ego at the door). scary thing that most mid level engineers and management know less about the plants than the management and hourly employees that work there, yet treat them as ignorant and incompetent.

Viewing 448 - 450 of 454 Reviews

Glassdoor has 489 POET reviews submitted anonymously by POET employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if POET is right for you.