Alcoa reviews

3.8

76% would recommend to a friend

(950 total reviews)
avatar

Bill Oplinger

74% approve of CEO

63% positive business outlook

Alcoa has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 950 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Alcoa employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

950 reviews
4.0
Nov 20, 2014

Great Company

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Room for advancement. Great products. knowledgeable people and supervision. there is always something to learn and the pace is fast and exciting

Cons

The main issue I have is with compensation and salary grades. It takes awhile to build momentum and to get a lager salary compared to other companies of this caliber

2.0
Nov 7, 2014

Not what it used to be...

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay was pretty good. Decent opportunities for development until the credit crunch started. Many good and committed co-workers.

Cons

Very "shareholder driven". Has completely lost lean management focus. Engaging people in maximizing customer value and minimizing waste is simply a thing of the past. Completely focused on squeezing maximum "profits" each month, seemingly without any concern for the future, equipment reliability or people. Safety and community values now seem to be pure window-dressing. People who nobody likes and have not achieved any significant results (outside of bogus excel sheets) get promoted way too frequently. Non performance at management levels is almost never dealt with, and when it is, it is usually by moving the non-performer to a different role, frequently promoting the person. Messengers are frequently shot and the ethics and compliance process is a cruel joke. The 4Es and a P performance management process is at best an absolute waste of time, at worst highly damaging, as people frequently put their own performance goals ahead of the interests of the organization and their co-workers.

5.0
Nov 5, 2014

great place to learn, advance and make a difference

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have never been bored a day in my job at Alcoa. This company and the industries that we touch are ever-changing and fascinating. There is a lot of opportunity for promotions, flexibility to join projects of interest even if they're outside your department, and the people who work at this company are genuinely respectful of different points of view. I've found that if you're smart, willing to work hard and open - the opportunities for management and job growth abound. This is truly a values-based company and I am proud to work for Alcoa, given our commitment to sustainability, excellence and innovation. Unlike other places I've worked, I find management at Alcoa to be open to ideas from all employees - your age, seniority or job title don't matter; if you have a good idea and want to get it done, you'll have support to make it happen.

Cons

As a global company, the hours can be long and travel is a part of some jobs. That said, traveling to our different operations makes me understand and respect the various businesses, so I think it is critical and most managers are flexible in terms of working from home from time to time to balance the long hours at other times.

Viewing 763 - 765 of 950 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,559 Alcoa reviews submitted anonymously by Alcoa employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Alcoa is right for you.