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      Rocket Lab

      Engaged Employer

      Rocket Lab reviews

      3.6

      68% would recommend to a friend

      (262 total reviews)
      avatar

      Peter Beck

      95% approve of CEO

      74% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Rocket Lab has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 262 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Rocket Lab employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      262 reviews
      1.0
      Sep 28, 2021

      Toxic

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      As so many reviews have started, the on-the-ground personnel were (mostly) a great bunch of folks.

      Cons

      Fortunately, the New Zealand Government Employment Relations Authority's (ERA) determination in May of this year over the dismissal of a key engineer is a matter of public record. It reveals very useful detail about Rocket Lab's culture, values, and approach to NZ employment law. It also means we don't have to rely solely on the questionable reviews and claims made by HR in this site. - ERA: The engineer's dismissal was “extremely unfair” and "substantially and procedurally unjustified" - ERA: "Rocket Lab appeared to have deliberately calculated that it was better for it to 'buy off' [the engineer] by offering him $10,000 for not enforcing his legal rights rather than taking any steps to comply with the performance management process set out in his employment agreement" - ERA: The good faith breaches involved were “brazen and blatant” and “deliberate and intentional” - ERA: Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck ordered his dismissal - ERA: Rocket Lab breached all four of the procedural fairness tests for dismissal in the Employment Relations Act; breached minimum good faith requirements; breached its own contractual obligations and employment policy - ERA: "A clear example of a company intentionally abusing its power to cause detriment to an employee" - ERA: "[The engineer] was abruptly dismissed and given no information about the reasons why... was improperly pressured to compromise his claims against Rocket Lab for a derisory amount... his employment was ended immediately and he was escorted off the premises in front of other staff" - Rocket Lab was ordered to pay the engineer almost $100,000 I would encourage anyone looking to join Rocket Lab to read the full ERA determination (it is public and widely reported). It also goes into the human costs of the effect on the engineer's health and family. Otherwise: - Rocket Lab is not a meritocracy; also, management notions of "hard work" appear to be entirely subjective and go unrewarded if you aren't doing engineering work - and engineering managers are blind to high value work that isn't engineering - Poor people management skills across the board - Huge lack of diversity - just look at a recent all-hands photo - Poor perks and benefits: Other NZ technology companies have long surpassed what Rocket Lab offers (and it's surprising hearing from the reviews here what RL employees consider benefits) - Low pay for the hours involved and quality of work needed - Cynical application of shares - I put in a sustained effort for three years (to the detriment of my personal life and health) and got nothing

      avatar
      Rocket Lab Response
      4y
      Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We agree that we have great bunch of people working for us. We acknowledge the case above and have provided remedies. It should also be noted that the issues raised occurred almost 3 years ago under the guidance of a previous People and Culture team. In the 3 years since then, there have been a number of process changes to address the issues raised. We’ve worked to build a strong culture that supports our people at all times. We believe that diversity and inclusion comes in many different forms and isn't just about the number of women, which is what we assume you are referring too. Diversity covers age, experience, gender, cultural background, and more – many of which cannot be determined by appearances in a photo. We have a number of initiatives underway to boost our diversity, including working with all female high schools on STEM education and are launching our Rocket Lab Education Program next year, as promoting STEM at an early age is where we will get the most benefit in future. It is not an immediate fix, but is for a real and sustained change. In terms of shares, it’s important to note that shares are not dictated by staff tenure, rather by performance-based contribution. We acknowledge that Rocket Lab is a fast-paced dynamic environment, however many of our employees thrive in this type of setting, which contributes to our high performance culture. We wish you the best for your future endeavours. -Rocket Lab People and Culture
      5.0
      Sep 26, 2021

      Amazing People, Exciting Projects, Industry Leader!

      Engineer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Having worked at Rocket Lab for over 5 years I've lived and breathed the momentous achievements and crushing delays that are synonymous with any space company - space is hard, but at the same time, oh so rewarding! The first time that structural element you designed is orbiting Earth, or the harness you manufactured is suppling the massive power demands of the rocket engines, or the separation system you qualified just performed perfectly - you can't beat it! Rocket Lab has the best people I've ever worked with. It's a hugely multinational and diverse team from a range of backgrounds, experience levels and disciplines, but everyone is laser focused on one goal - being the best space company in the world! And being a Kiwi company, there's no cultural hang ups on who you can or can't talk to - everyone is happy to explain what they're doing, show you how something works, or even grab a coffee and explain the theory behind something. The people at Rocket Lab are the core of the business, and in my experience, you won't find a better bunch anywhere else! The variety of projects to be involved with is ever expanding; from Electron and Neutron, the rockets, to Photon, the satellite bus, and the interplanetary missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars and beyond. Working with international leaders in their fields, you will learn skills and theory that take you to the pinnacle of the industry. My backgroud was not in aerospace, as are many of our new starters, yet with the mentoring, training, and on-the-job experience you gain working at Rocket Lab, you will rapidly fill the required knowledge gaps and, in my experience, have the best time learning it all! These days I'm proud to call myself an aerospace engineer, and that has been a direct result of working at Rocket Lab. Also, last, but far from least, is the opportunity to be awarded significant company stock performance awards, which can make a life changing difference to your financial position. Now a public company, there is also a staff stock plan with attractive benefits so everyone can reap the rewards from the ongoing success of the company.

      Cons

      It's true the hours can be quite long at Rocket Lab, and I've certainly had my share of long days, weeks and launch campaigns. But in saying that, I've worked multiple jobs before with similar hours, so I don't believe the issue is specific to Rocket Lab - rather engineering and trade work in general. With the company maturing and growing, these days I average a 50 to 55-hour week, and while that might be "more than a 40-hour week" - it still enables me to maintain an effective work-life-balance. It is worth recognising though as it won't suit everyone.

      avatar
      Rocket Lab Response
      4y
      Hi there, Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We agree that we have amazing people and exciting projects and this makes us an industry leader. We are an ever-evolving organisation and are constantly moving and challenging ourselves to reach the next goal, with this we need to be dynamic and fast moving , which sometimes means working outside of the 40 hour week. However in recognition of effort we do have a shares program in place. Unfortunately we haven't been able to have our team together for in-person celebrations this year because of COVID, but we cant wait for 2022 to have everyone together to celebrate 2021 and all the incredible missions to come! Thanks again for your feedback. -Rocket Lab People and Culture
      5.0
      Sep 26, 2021

      Fantastic opportunity to learn, grow and have fun

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      -The people are hands down the most incredible people you will work with -Varied work, lots of big projects to be a part of -Lots of fun activities hosted by the company -Great culture of work hard and have a fun -A ton of career opportunities for those willing to put in the hard yards -Great incentive scheme which involves company shares

      Cons

      Can be quite a reactive environment, however this helps you become a quick thinker and efficient in the face of challenges and change If you are looking for a cruisey job that you want to retire into, this isn't it. You need to be bold and want to make the world a better place.

      avatar
      Rocket Lab Response
      4y
      Hi there, Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We agree that Rocket Lab is a great place to develop your career, learn and have a whole lot of fun. Our employees are the creators and innovators of today, building a better tomorrow, so we do acknowledge that they do work hard and are thankful for our awesome team. We are an ever-evolving organisation and are constantly moving and challenging ourselves to reach the next goal, this is part of the reason why we have been so successful. However, as we grow and add more employees, we are also adding more processes in which to support them, with the QMS project set to finish next year. Thanks again for your feedback. We look forward to seeing Electron launch mission 22 very soon! -Rocket Lab People & Culture
      Viewing 196 - 198 of 262 Reviews
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      ReviewsRocket Lab reviews

      Glassdoor has 302 Rocket Lab reviews submitted anonymously by Rocket Lab employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Rocket Lab is right for you.