Avoid This Company – Poor Management, No Training, and a Toxic Work Environment
Pros
I worked at H.B. Fuller for six months, and unfortunately, my experience was overwhelmingly negative. While I am grateful to have gained employment after graduation, the only true benefit of this job was that it helped me land a much better opportunity elsewhere.
Cons
1) Terrible Benefits – Only 10 days of PTO, which included both vacation and sick days. If you got sick, you were essentially using up your vacation time. 2) No Work Assigned – Despite being hired as a chemical engineer, I was given absolutely nothing to do. I repeatedly asked for tasks, projects, and responsibilities, yet my requests were ignored. Even interns had more work than I did. When coworkers tried to involve me in projects, my boss denied those opportunities, even though I had nothing else to do. 3) Horrible Management – My boss had no idea how to manage people or delegate tasks. He was lazy and unmotivated, which set the tone for the entire plant. Despite claiming there was "so much to be done," he never assigned me anything. The company as a whole suffers from severe mismanagement. 4) High Turnover – Employees were quitting left and right, and the company made no effort to replace them. Even interns and co-ops refused to return because the work environment was so bad. 5) Toxic Work Culture – The workplace was filled with daily arguments, disrespect, and complete lack of communication. The way employees spoke to each other was unacceptable. 6) Unsafe and Poor Facility Conditions – As a chemical engineer, safety is a top priority, but at this company, it was completely disregarded. The plant was dirty, poorly maintained, and unsafe to work in. 7) No Leadership – The plant manager quit before I even started, and it took more than 6 months to find a replacement (if they ever did). Anyone who toured the facility would immediately see why no one wanted to work there. 8) Unqualified and Unfriendly Staff – Many employees, including engineers, were not qualified for their roles. The overall work environment was cold and unwelcoming, with only a couple of people making any effort to include me. 9) No Training or Development – As a new chemical engineering graduate, I expected and was promised training, but none was provided. Despite repeatedly requesting formal training, I was continuously brushed off, with multiple people saying they would arrange something but never following through. There was no structured onboarding, no mentorship, and no effort to develop employees’ skills. 10) Underpaid and Unfair Compensation – The job posting listed a salary range, yet I was offered a salary below the minimum of that range. When I asked for a higher salary, I was told that my offer was simply the "base pay for engineers." Later, I found out that a coworker who started at the same time as me, with less experience, was getting paid more. This lack of transparency and fairness in compensation is unacceptable. 11) Worst Job Experience – This was hands down the worst professional experience I’ve had. My skills were completely wasted, and the company showed no interest in developing its employees. If you are a recent graduate or an experienced professional considering this company, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. There are far better opportunities with companies that will actually value your skills and provide a supportive work environment.
