Koch reviews

3.7

66% would recommend to a friend

(1,841 total reviews)
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Charles G. Koch and Dave Robertson

80% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Koch has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 1,841 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Koch employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Energy, Mining & Utilities industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
2.0
Jun 23, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1. Many of my co-workers were fantastic people that I was sad to leave behind. 2. The MBM culture generally does make people behave in a manner that makes them pleasant to be around. 3. Exposure to complex and interesting tax issues early in your career that you probably wouldn't see at most other places. 4. Plenty of variety and options for mobility (both lateral and vertical) are possible, if you're willing to stick around despite the cons (which I wouldn't recommend). 5. Benefits are very good. Pay is above average for the area.

Cons

1. The entire accounting and tax environment that I experienced can best be described by two words: chaotic mess. At any given time in any given group, a majority of people are not going to know what is going on (See point 3 for lack of training). There are constant fire drills, and disorganization causes even simpler tasks to take 5 times as long as they should. 2. Turnover is through the roof (for good reason). Accounting and tax positions below the controller/manager level are just a continuous revolving door of 20-somethings straight out of college. This only exacerbates the already chaotic environment, and hurts morale. 3. Training is non-existent, which is extremely frustrating given the complexity of the work you will be expected to do. Much of it involves Koch specific processes that there is no way you could have even learned in school. This is a recipe for a nightmare situation if your direct supervisor doesn't have a solid understanding of the work you're doing (which is likely to happen since people are constantly changing roles). Hiring tax professionals directly out of college is a relatively new strategy for Koch, and they are clearly not doing an effective job with it. Their CPA perks are a joke compared to public accounting firms as well. 4. Horrible work/life balance. The tax department likes to market itself as an alternative to the infamous Big 4 busy seasons, saying that work is more spread out throughout the year. The reality is that you will basically be in busy season year-round due to the constant entity restructuring transactions that take place. 5. Much of their technology is severely outdated, although to their credit they do seem to be working on this. 6. The atmosphere is extremely cultish. Be prepared to spend hours upon hours pretending that the points made in Charles Koch's books are profound and enlightening. This is minor, but it's definitely creepy.

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Koch Response
9y
We appreciate hearing your perspective about our tax careers. Professionals in this field have a lot of options for where they can work, so one of our goals is to provide exposure to a wide variety of possibilities. We strive to offer opportunities that are challenging but also rewarding. Our hiring process gives every candidate the ability to meet with multiple members of our team to help provide a realistic look inside the business. We encourage everyone who is interested to explore their options firsthand, and choose what’s right for them.
5.0
Jun 20, 2017

Accounting Supervisor

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The work is exciting and there are always opportunities to move around within the company and try new things. They expect you to work hard but I felt more job satisfaction there than any other job I've had.

Cons

There were definitely some nights with long hours, but that can be expected in any accounting role.

2.0
Jun 19, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Overall, Koch Industries and many of its subsidiary companies represent most of the positive reviews reflected on this page. Stable, forward thinking, rewarding place to work in many portions of the company. MBM is a business philosophy I will take with me throughout my career. However, there are pockets and subsidiaries that do not reflect Koch's culture and give the company a bad name.

Cons

Leadership of Koch Energy Services: - President is always worried about the next management update, concerned if people disagree with him and is always trying to seek approval and total consensus before making a decision. This leads to painfully slow and poor decision-making. -Constantly trying to put out today's fire rather than thinking about the big picture. -Very little forward thinking, vision and authenticity displayed by KES management. Instead, they just recite corporate buzz-words and repeat themselves ad nauseam. -Extremely hesitant to make any bets or take risks that could make them look bad. Instead, multiple layers of analysis are expected to be performed that will add little to no value to the company. Always try to play it safe. -Koch's "challenge process" is not fostered at KES. Instead, any challenge that is put forward that is against KES leadership's agenda is quickly stomped out. This is successful because the president has put in place directors/managers under him who are "yes men" who always toe the line when push comes to shove. -Young analysts brought into the group are not given the same opportunities as analysts at other Koch companies. Very hesitant to let analysts travel, attend industry conferences, or network with other Koch companies. They talk about mentoring and coaching analysts but this is all hot air if you are someone who doesn't agree with management 100% of the time. -Insecurity displayed as micro-management. I was asked multiple times per day what I was working on despite having discussed my projects with my supervisor weekly. -If you disagree with them or bring up any of the problems listed above, you will be ostracized within the group and within Koch as a whole. Since your manager has complete control over your destiny at Koch, they will actively work against you trying to get a job within another Koch company. Mid-Level Management: -Often given supervisory responsibility because they are good analysts, not because they have good management skills

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Koch Response
9y
Thank you for your feedback. We value your comments and have shared them with KES leadership. We define the challenge process as using the best available knowledge to continually question and find a better way. When applied well, this leads to more effective outcomes than could be realized by any individual acting alone and helps us to learn and improve over time. We believe that employees are our strongest assets, so we invest in each individual according to their unique experiences, aptitudes, and interests.
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