Kyocera Design Engineer reviews

1.6

0% would recommend to a friend

(6 total reviews)

Goro Yamaguchi

Not enough data to show CEO approval

3% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

6 reviews
1.0
Sep 25, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay is on time with good benefits, including health insurance and pension.

Cons

I have worked at several companies, and this was by far the worst management experience I’ve encountered. The leadership group—expats, former expats who “went local,” and long-serving local staff—operate with an old-school mentality and little respect for employees. Recognition is nearly non-existent: you will rarely hear a simple “thank you” for your work. Instructions are often unclear and change from day to day. When you follow directions, you can be told that the task is no longer needed, which feels like deliberate undermining. Questions are frequently met with dismissive or insulting responses (“You don’t even know that?” / “How many times do I have to explain?”), or with counter-questions that feel like traps. Public scolding is commonplace despite the company promoting a “flat” organization; managers sit on the same floor and everyone can hear when someone is berated. Management tells employees to ask questions, but the atmosphere discourages approaching them. Remote work was contractually allowed once a week, yet managers created pressure not to use it and effectively denied the option. They often refused to respond to Teams calls, making it clear they had no intention of supporting remote collaboration. HR did not enforce the contract or address the situation, leaving employees with no real remote flexibility. At the same time, workload expectations were unreasonable, with constant pressure to finish tasks “by today” or “by tomorrow,” regardless of feasibility. On top of that, managers frequently vented their personal frustrations directly onto subordinates, further eroding morale. As a result, the team learns to survive by avoiding mistakes and not drawing attention—good people leave when they find better opportunities. HR does not seem to be able (or willing) to address the behavior effectively. If you value respect, clear communication, and psychological safety, this is not the place for you.

2.0
Sep 7, 2024

Terrible Work Culture

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Good Job security - Decent Pay

Cons

- Japanese work culture, heavily reliant on outdated philosophies and strict deadlines. If you don't stay 1-2 hours extra every day, you will be excluded from any bonuses or promotions. - Very difficult to be part of the team if you are not Japanese / don't speak Japanese. I've had managers talk trash in my face in Japanese, and I was not able to find out until another employee who understood Japanese was nice enough to tell me. Culture is non welcoming to western ideals and attitudes. - Non existent pipeline. If you are relatively new in your career. DO NOT WORK HERE!!! Essentially no trainings and expected to learn and facilitate designs with minimum trainings. If you make errors, company has no problem in public shaming you. - Outdated technology and designs. Very difficult to introduce change and explore new engineering practices. Company recycles same designs from the 1990's and your job will be just to support that. Extremely resistant to change. - Cult like philosophy readings. Every Friday you must read sections from the company philosophy book as a group. Comes across as strange, but if you pay attention to the dialogue, it's just justification for their terrible work culture. - Met many people who felt the same as me, but were afraid to speak out due to management. Only stayed in the toxic environment for the paycheck. Very high turnover rate.

2.0
Apr 26, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Job security, free EV charging

Cons

Afraid to take risks and reluctant to pursue new processes/technology without precedent. Old school management unwilling to adapt or listen to employees. Annual performance goals set by management with complete disregard for employee input. Inflexible work schedule, non-competitive pay. Toxic environment. Mandatory study “philosophy” book written by company founder. All the above results in high turnover for skilled engineers.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 6 Reviews

Glassdoor has 947 Kyocera reviews submitted anonymously by Kyocera employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Kyocera is right for you.