Cognex reviews

3.4

55% would recommend to a friend

(474 total reviews)
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Matt Moschner

65% approve of CEO

36% positive business outlook

Cognex has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 474 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Cognex 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

474 reviews
4.0
Oct 13, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The chairman's policy is that you should be smart and be able to make the right decision, instead of being by-the-book and following rules and directions. "Do what YOU think is right.". Thinking out of the box is somewhat encouraged. Good middle management as well, at least those who I have to work with. The atmosphere is mostly friendly and not too uptight. Rather relaxed in fact. You can strike up a conversation with your boss during lunch on something totally not work-related. Even the CEO can occasionally come down and have a casual talk with the code monkeys. There is little pressure, at least I find working here more relaxed than grad school. Colleagues are usually willing to help. There is diversity in what you get to work on. Software, hardware. You get a main project but you get to do various different things every day. Very good job security. A lot of people work here for over 20, 25, even over 30 years Fun corporate culture. Like, really. If you want to work only 40 hours a week - you will probably be able to do so most of the time. Overtime is occasionally needed, but very rarely are you pushed to work late. And usually management isn't going to ask many questions if you want to take a day off now and then, as long as you get your work done and either put in PTO or compensate by working more on other days. The company is actively growing as of 2015. I expect a lot of positive changes within the next years. At least quantitatively.

Cons

The salaries are somewhat on the lower half of the spectrum. A bit. The stress is also lower than what I perceive as the average, so that's not too bad. The development process can be a bit disorganized. The company is growing quickly the last few years, and there are growing pains: many processes are changing, stuff gets out of synch. Then sometimes there's a task that has to be done but A thinks it's B's job, B thinks it's C's responsibility, and C has no clue about it at all. Sometimes the people needed to get something done are overseas, or unreachable for days, for whatever reasons. Working remotely doesn't work. You have to be on site to get anything done. Sometimes lots money is wasted on useless stuff, and then budgets are tight for stuff that is really needed for labs, etc.

4.0
Oct 5, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cognex is good employer, at least for software engineers. You are expected to be smart and competent. You are not micromanaged. Code reviews are strict but fair. It varies by manager but most are extremely accommodating of family issues or in general needing to leave the office without much notice or explanation. You are trusted to get your work done and as long as you do, no one is looking at your hours or giving you a hard time. People stay at Cognex for a very long time and for good reason. Pay is good and the company is extremely stable internally.

Cons

Demands are high and sometimes unpaid overtime is necessary to keep things moving. I think technically you could demand to be paid for this time, but more likely than not, your manager would just tell you to go home and push the deadline. You are for all intents and purposes a salary employee. It would be nice if the company acknowledged that. Regardless, pay is fair for a 40 hour week, and you're not punching a clock, so it doesn't matter too much. The development environment and tools are ancient and build processes are arcane to the point of being a running joke. Fellow employees are supportive. No time is given for experimental ideas. The company is vaguely understaffed and all time goes towards concrete product development.

5.0
Sep 24, 2015

Excellent company

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work hard, play hard is the mantra. The core values of the company include outstanding benefits and competitive salaries.

Cons

No huge opportunities for advancement. HR seems disconnected and aloof when dealing with employee relations

Viewing 442 - 444 of 474 Reviews

Glassdoor has 569 Cognex reviews submitted anonymously by Cognex employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Cognex is right for you.