Pros
The company offers very competitive pay and benefits. There are many opportunities for promotion. The nature of the product and industry is going to help curb GHG emissions and bring about innovation in the transportation industry, so there is a strong sense of pride and mission in your work. Working with Japanese ex-patriots and at a Japanese company is always a positive, unique experience. It is a fast-paced work environment so it’s never boring. The facility offers free snacks and coffee with many restaurants and food trucks for breakfast and lunch options.
Cons
The work/life balance heavily leans towards the work side. The pay from promotions is not commensurate with the additional workload / responsibilities. The facility and manufacturing process is dirty, difficult, and dangerous, creating as much, if not more, pollution than the company tries to cut via batteries for EV’s. The building is only 5 years old but it looks run down, with cracks in the floors, holes in the walls from forklifts, and trash left in the stairwells from construction workers (yes, construction is still being done). The snacks are okay, but the coffee is awful. No matter which flavor, the taste is bitter because the coffee containers are always on, burning the brew. There are no windows and the building is painted white, so it looks like a giant hospital/psychiatric ward inside The company is siloed, causing confusion and inconsistency for project and production implementation. In practice, this together with the management’s perverted notion of accountability perpetuates a culture of blame. Support functions such as the Procurement, Quality, and Training departments are taken for granted and seen as a nuisance. Yet, when things are going well, and records being are broken, there’s little to no recognition for these functions. They remain overworked and under-resourced.