Management By Fear & Crumbling Morale - Lead, Engineering Generalist SC Johnson Employee Review

2.0
21 Jan 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Great people to work with -Competitive compensation & benefits (Profit Sharing, Rec Facilities, Day Care, etc.) -Good focus on community benefits in the cities/countries where they operate -Large company with opportunities for some to advance (but brakes are being applied)

Cons

Over the past 5 years the previous senior leadership that was grown & nurtured in-house has been replaced with external executives who are instilling a new corporate culture built on fear and intimidation. The recent 12+ month 'transformation' gutted and reorganized many teams - some for better but most for worse - all the while killing morale and productivity. Anyone with experience in Change Management would recognize this company's missteps in an instant, and many good & talented employees have seen the train wreck and left for better opportunities. Many others are counting the days until retirement and hoping to hold on for the roller coaster ride. The company and CEO proselytize the "This We Believe" principles. The key quote found all around campus is "The goodwill of people is the only enduring thing in any business. It is the sole substance...the rest is shadow!" Unfortunately, this principle of goodwill has been relegated to the bottom of the paper shredder bin. Successes built on supporting your employees, taking risks and learning from mistakes is being replaced with focuses only on bottom lines, unobtainable cost savings targets and micro-management by fear.

Explore other reviews about SC Johnson

5.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great brands, company, vision and leadership. This place is special and unlike so many other CPG companies.

Cons

Super competitive industry can create longer than usual hours.

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SC Johnson Response
3w
We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us! We are happy to read that you enjoyed the vision, leadership, brands and more at our family company.
2.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will not be bothered by people talking to you, benefits seem okay.

Cons

Don’t expect to be trained on anything. Management will expect you to figure things out on your own, request your own accesses and figure out what you need without any guidance. They’ll send people to you for questions on how to do stuff within your first couple days, not having taught you how to do those things.

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SC Johnson Response
2w
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your comments regarding onboarding and training and will take your feedback into consideration. We have shared your experience with the appropriate team.
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