Pros
I loved my co-workers. The relationships I built with those I worked with will be valued throughout my life. The employees at Lincoln Electric are some of hardest working people I have ever worked with.
Cons
Leadership does not seem to realize that the "old Lincoln" way is not attractive to today's workforce. Some of the major cons are listed below: Compensation/Bonus - If you are fortunate to have health insurance from a spouse or other source, you will feel like you actually received a bonus. If not, the benefits premium deduction from your "bonus" check will leave you feeling disappointed. Even with the bonus your compensation may not be comparable to the market. Performance Development System - This is by no means a real performance Management system. It's all about assigning a numeric rating to employees based on the opinions of others...some who may not even know what you actually do. The calibration meetings are a joke and if your manager does not have the backbone to fight for you, you can expect a rating that does not truly reflect your actual performance. Work-Life Balance/Flexibility - In some pockets of the company there is flexibility, but as a whole Lincoln Electric is very rigid. It's sad when you sit in a meeting and listen to a top executive say he would like to have salaried employees clock in and out via a timeclock or that he stands in his office window to see when salaried employees come to work. These are the very employees that work 50+ hours per week, including late nights and weekends. Sad! Employee Development - In general, it is basically non-existent. There seems to be a focus on certain levels of the organization, but for the average employee there are no formal development programs (outside of the college recruiting programs).