ABB reviews

4.0

80% would recommend to a friend

(8,187 total reviews)
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Morten Wierod

86% approve of CEO

72% positive business outlook

ABB has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 8,187 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The ABB employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufactura industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

8K reviews
3.0
Nov 21, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

ABB is a Large Company with good benefits. There are many opportunities in other parts of the company if you don't like where you are presently. A large company also rides the vissisitudes of the market easier than a small company. Perhaps the best reason is the benefits. The company does more than it has to in some areas. 401k is average. Vacation is wonderful as is the severence package if you're unlucky enough to use it. They also have good tuition reimbursement and adoption benefits. If you woud rather loaf than work, ABB is the place for you. It's easy to hide in a nook or cranny of the corporate structure if you want.

Cons

Large Company with much politics. Trying to get anything done quickly is impossible. As a marketing manager, it was very difficult working with marketing communications (the people who are responsible for corporate image and rule of how documents and other media should look.) They always shot down our ideas because they didn't fit with the European mentality, even though they fit perfectly with a US customer. ABB is a European company which means most discisions are by committee and consensous instead of a dictator style. Trying to get consensous on everything is impossible or you end up with something that no one likes. The Web site was terrible when I was there but it's improved a bit since then.

3.0
Nov 18, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The work can be challenging and interesting. ABB is a multinational organization with a diverse client base. Thus, there are opportunities to gain practical experience in a wide range of industries. For example, an engineer working in controls might be exposed to refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, power plants, ... Management was flexible with respect to personal issues. Comp time, telecommuting, flex time (often during the summer) were offered. They offered decent benefits, but salaries were slightly below average.

Cons

My original subdivision was poorly run: nepotism was a problem; management did not communicate with the staff; and morale was poor. We repeatedly faced reorganizations. However, we were too small to attract C level attention until the damage was irreversible. There were (are?) some issues caused by the madcap acquisition period (1980's to 2000). As a result of ABB's expansion, there were parallel functions in different ABB organizations, but communication between such groups was rare. Effort has been made to consolidate, but an emphasis on price rather than value has lead to shift of established operations from US/Europe to newly formed groups in Asia. As a result, much hard-won knowledge has undoubtedly been lost.

3.0
Aug 30, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

ABB is a very large company where employees have opportunity to grow, either in the same area or into something else. It is a great place to grow professionally. However, it may not have many opportunities available for promotios within the same branch one is at, so at times, to move forward, it is necessary to move within the industry to other cities / plants.

Cons

It depends in which city the company is located at and the culture of the people. ABB sells itself as a company that welcomes / accepts diversity. However, when you are inside the company, if you think different or come from a culture which is different from the culture of the city the company is located at, it might be very challeging for them to accept you and incorporate you into their culture. At times I felt discriminated for the treatment I was receiving from being from a different country and having different beliefs. The way they advertise diversity is very different that what it is in the real life.

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