I joined GM after leaving a very good position in a recognized multinational aerospace company where the culture truly is similar to the Silicon Valley notion of “anything is possible.” I was extremely excited to come to GM, mostly to be a part of the new technologies and “cultural change” described by several GM spokespersons (including the CEO) in various media outlets. I was leaving a top company for what I truly believed was another top company, this is how much I believed in what GM marketed to me. I was told my technical skills and educational degrees would be challenged. It has been about six months since I joined GM and I have been given no such caliber of work. In fact, the most “complex” task I have been assigned is to submit a Work Order and create Excel spreadsheets, and yes my title is engineer. I keep asking my manager for challenging work and all I get is “paperwork” stuff that a 15 year old can do with very minimal training. I have a Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering and I do not use my education at all in GM.
I also do not feel safe at work. My manager has an aggressive attitude. He constantly uses bad words and I cannot say the rest to protect my identity, but is not good. He treats his direct report as if we are his kids. I see my co-workers complaining all the time on his back, but they are afraid of speak up. All they say is “this is a good company with good pay/benefits and I am happy to have a job”. GM indeed pays well and the benefits are very good as I stated above. But I would rather make a lower salary with less benefits at a job where I can be myself and use my skill sets. GM campuses (at least in Michigan) are not tobacco free. All the building entrances smells like cigarette even the conference rooms and restrooms. Sometimes people even smoke in your face. I have even seen people in meetings talking very rude to minorities (including women’s). Is that a sign of a progressive and safe company? I do not think so.
This feels more like a 8-5 job. You can tell a large number of people hate their jobs and they are there just for a paycheck. A large number of people do not respond to emails and some to phone calls. I have even been in situations when I have sent a meeting notice with days in advance and no one shows up. And when you go to their desks you seen them texting, etc. And if you ask them a question they complain and point you to someone else.
Even at the company trainings you hear the instructions complaining about the company culture. One instruction even joked saying that the GM handshake is "is not my problem - is someone else's".
GM is still a bureaucratic company where employees, mostly individual contributors, are afraid to speak up. Is true that the leadership is trying to change that culture. There are renovations in the Warren Technical Center and constant emails to promote a cultural change through collaboration. But I guess they have to get rid of a lot of people in order to change the company culture. I am very disappointed at GM.
