First Solar reviews

3.7

70% would recommend to a friend

(684 total reviews)
avatar

Mark Widmar

86% approve of CEO

62% positive business outlook

First Solar has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 684 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The First Solar 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

684 reviews
5.0
Oct 26, 2014

Great company to work for.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This is a world class company with advanced thin film CdTe technology that is on the verge of overtaking silicon in device performance and overall economics. This well balanced and substantial company will continue to prosper. The culture is positive and results oriented, just as you would expect from a successful corporation. The management puts real effort into matching the individual's strengths to the work at hand. While fast paced, it is not a "sink or swim" environment. There is a strong sense of team ownership in the work and ease in cutting across department or other boundaries to pull in the necessary resources to make the project succeed. People are personally competitive but are also very helpful. There is a considerable amount of leadership in this organization. I work in the Silicon Valley operation and interact a great deal with the operation in Perrysburg. Benefits, including time off policies are excellent. I have worked in the Silicon Valley for a long time and this is one of the best companies with a presence in the Valley.

Cons

None to speak of. I have had better stock options at other smaller companies, but this is a larger and more mature company. This is not a Silicon Valley start-up.

2.0
May 25, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good compensation and benefits, reasonable work life balance

Cons

favoritism, poor management skills, bloated management team, little opportunity for career development, too frequent re-org

4.0
Jul 29, 2012

Great working experience

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Employees live by FSLR behaviors, similar to GE organizational behaviors. Relax working environment. Low benefit cost compare to similar companies in the industry. Green technology.

Cons

Lack of collaboration between groups causing redundancy in assignments, head counts and etc. Slowly shifted from R&D mentality to manufacturing mind set. Not many risk takers from group stakeholders. Slow down in solar PV markets. Lack of leadership from front line managers.

Viewing 151 - 153 of 684 Reviews

Glassdoor has 806 First Solar reviews submitted anonymously by First Solar employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if First Solar is right for you.