Pros
This organization has a focus on developing new talent, there are continuously new opportunities available for those who demonstrate engagement and drive to improve. The Cannon Falls facility has observed a significant cultural shift in the last two years towards a mindset of challenging past practices and empowering individuals to enact improvements on the manufacturing process. Engineering within this organization is an exciting discipline as there is always a new technical development, product improvement, or manufacturing challenge in the works. Engineers are given significant agency to improve their area of control and this empowerment is incredibly fulfilling. Cannon Falls captures a small company feel within a large organization. The people on this team are working towards a common goal and are tremendously helpful in cross-functional collaboration. Folks are willing to go beyond their area of responsibility to help others.
Cons
There is a learning curve to Henkel as an organization. Larger companies bring additional complexity in navigating the corporate landscape, ERP systems, and the dynamics of a large matrix organization. Additionally, the structures for career development for staff could be more transparent and could benefit from a more structured framework for promotion and the expansion of roles and responsibilities. It takes time to learn how to move and grow within the organization. From an engineering perspective, Cannon Falls has a high degree of complexity in the vast array of products that are run. These products can very greatly in terms of volume and business impact and often the largest product issues are concentrated on materials that run infrequently or do not have high importance for the overall business. This can make troubleshooting a challenge.