Protolabs reviews

2.6

33% would recommend to a friend

(382 total reviews)

Suresh Krishna

37% approve of CEO

29% positive business outlook

Protolabs has an employee rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars, based on 382 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Protolabs employee rating is 25% below average for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

382 reviews
1.0
May 16, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexibility and the option to work from home a couple of days a week.

Cons

It’s disappointing to see how far the company has drifted from what once made it a great place to work. There has been a noticeable decline in vision and innovation, especially since the leadership transition. Where we once had a steady stream of internally developed capabilities and real momentum, growth has now stagnated. The current leadership—particularly at the top—seems disconnected from the day-to-day realities and the value that front-line employees, especially in Sales, bring to the company. Morale has suffered significantly. Sales reps no longer feel appreciated or supported. The culture that once celebrated hard work and collaboration has been replaced by minimal recognition, exemplified by gestures like handing out ramen noodles on employee appreciation day—a stark contrast to past years. The tone from the top truly sets the company culture, and unfortunately, what’s being modeled now isn’t inspiring or motivating...especially behaviors from the CRO. It would benefit the company if leadership re-engaged with employees, listened more actively, and refocused on fostering innovation and employee value.

avatar
Protolabs Response
1y
Thanks for the feedback. We value your insights. We are excited about our vision and the future as we transition to being the manufacturer of choice for prototyping and production. The transition of our organization also brings forward exciting opportunities for career development of our teams and all employees. I would love to set up a meeting with you and members of the executive team, to hear your feedback, share the vision in more detail, and discuss any questions you may have. Please contact me at talentacquisition@protolabs.com.
1.0
Aug 24, 2025

Employee dedication is not appreciated by the upper management

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company is a recognized leader in its product segment and provides a unique, highly valuable service to its customers. Its core product and technical capabilities remain best-in-class. Many frontline employees are talented, dedicated, and genuinely care about the mission.

Cons

Upper management in MN is destroying employee morale, creating toxic environment of mistrust and retaliation. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some examples: - Retaliation. While the company invests in leadership and review training for managers, in practice, honest feedback is not welcomed. In my experience, offering constructive feedback to an upper-level manager resulted in clear retaliation, which was neither subtle nor addressed by HR. While technically not illegal, this behavior is directly at odds with the company’s stated values. My case was not isolated. - Mistrust. After acquiring Hubs/Network, leadership promised to preserve its innovative and collaborative culture. Instead, that culture has been eroded. Many employees with deep institutional knowledge were laid off without proper knowledge transfer, creating long-term risks for the business. Others were given significant additional responsibilities without corresponding pay adjustments. Employees who devoted years to building the business have been let go abruptly, with little foresight or appreciation. - Economics & Morale. Company’s growth has been stagnant. To change that company is laying off long term valuable employees and gifting plastic bowls with a packet of Ramen noodles on employee appreciation day. True story. Much was said in the previous reviews about the noodles as well as about the notoriously low pay across all sectors of the compony compared to the market. The only ones who are compensated fairly are senior executives and HR. Director of HR is compensated 40-50% more than directors of other departments. 
Speaking of the senior management, while I cannot speak for all, some are arrogant and unapproachable, while some are incompetent in the areas where they should be competent. Example: Company procured a software solution from a vendor at a cost of $240k. The only problem was that there was absolutely no need in this software/solution and, moreover, internal GTS team did not even have the bandwidth to implement it. Company continued to pay for nothing, all while the most employees could hope for is a 3% annual raise max…and a packet of Ramen noodles.

avatar
Protolabs Response
11mo
Hello! Thank for sharing your feedback! If interested in learning more about our compensation strategy, the growth we have seen over the past 6 months, which is positive and strong, or our employee engagement, we encourage you to reach out to talentaquisition@protolabs.com.
Viewing 13 - 15 of 382 Reviews

Glassdoor has 423 Protolabs reviews submitted anonymously by Protolabs employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Protolabs is right for you.