General Atomics reviews

3.8

70% would recommend to a friend

(1,976 total reviews)
avatar

Neal Blue

76% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

General Atomics has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,976 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The General Atomics employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
1.0
Dec 4, 2023

Couldn't get out fast enough

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Competitive pay, 9x80 schedule, pension, great people at operational level

Cons

The toxic and hostile environment at this company is deeply concerning. Employees often feel unsupported and stressed due to the company's habit of cutting corners and improvising, which only adds to the discomfort. General Atomics is a company that seems to thrive on a culture of hostility and disregard for employee well-being. The practice of cutting corners and "winging it" not only jeopardizes the quality of work but also puts employees in difficult situations. There's a clear lack of proper planning and organization, leading to high levels of stress and uncertainty among the workforce. At General Atomics, voicing concerns about the toxic work environment often falls on deaf ears. The manufacturing management has a troubling habit of dismissing employee feedback and essentially telling them to "shut up and do your job." This creates a hostile atmosphere where employees' voices are silenced, and valid concerns are ignored. Moreover, the company's HR department appears to have limited power to address these issues, given that it's a private company. It seems that at General Atomics, the big bosses hold all the power, and their decisions, even if they're illegal or unethical, take precedence. This disregard for legality and ethics further contributes to the troubling and toxic workplace culture at the company. Despite the competitive compensation offered by General Atomics, the professional challenges and adversarial workplace culture significantly diminish the overall value of employment. The organization's apparent tolerance for a toxic work environment outweighs the financial benefits, making it difficult for employees to justify enduring the accompanying issues. In my 3 years of employment at General Atomics I have seen 4 individuals cry due to their treatment/the toxic work environment. I would not endorse pursuing a career in the Assembly & Integration/Manufacturing department at General Atomics.

3.0
Apr 7, 2023

Too much politics

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits and Pension plan.

Cons

Too many supervisors! Be weary of reporting any concerns on work ethics within group to HR; they won't do anything and then you'll end up with a target on your back. This led to my demise after many years with the company.

1.0
Mar 27, 2023

It is all true ...

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- typical benefits - light to medium work load - no one ever gets fired

Cons

As others have stated: - Senior Software Developers are basically ignorant of modern software design, development, delivery practices. You will learn nothing from them. They routinely make short-sighted, poor decisions, but continually defend/deflect criticism citing irrational reasons. - EDD (Ego Driven-Development) and NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome dominates. No one allows changes to the underlying design because it reflects poorly on the original developers ego, yet Senior developers get to poorly write/re-write software that already exists to boost their ego and gain credentials. - The software quality is obviously poor as a result. Maintenance (bug-fixing) to Development ratio ranges from 4:1 to 10:1. - High turn-over in lower positions and no advancement because senior devs have been there forever. - Managers and Directors are political appointees: family, friends, brown-nosers instead of being skilled developers with strong training and experience with modern technology. - Whatever training you get is trivial and non-transferrable, mostly oriented towards following procedures. - HR exists to protect manager and directors instead of addressing the root cause of conflict, which is their technical deficit. - Business outlook is poor. Demand for Predator/Reaper products is low because the software is so bad. Pentagon budget requested 0 Reapers in 2020-2023 budgets, but Congress forces USAF to by 4 more each year to subsidize the defense industry. In 2022, USAF actually proposed getting rid of 250 out of 330 Reapers. Foreign Military Sales are not panning out because of poor software performance.

Viewing 103 - 105 of 1,976 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,268 General Atomics reviews submitted anonymously by General Atomics employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if General Atomics is right for you.