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      Xcel Energy

      Engaged Employer

      Xcel Energy reviews

      3.3

      53% would recommend to a friend

      (1,072 total reviews)
      avatar

      Bob Frenzel

      30% approve of CEO

      49% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Xcel Energy has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 1,072 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Xcel Energy employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Energy, Mining & Utilities industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      1K reviews
      1.0
      Oct 31, 2013

      Stay away from management

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Salary and benefits are pretty good, when compared to comparable positions in other organizations

      Cons

      Sadly, the culture at the corporate headquarters has made a 180-degree turn with the new regime. Once a collaborative, collegial and positive ethos permeated the company's leadership and senior management. Contributors and middle managers earned their "seat at the table" and had a lot to contribute to the company's success. The result? Xcel Energy came roaring back from near bankruptcy and earned its place in the nation's elite, environmentally conscious utilities ("No. 1 wind power provider," don't you know). The company's leadership at that time provided solid direction, to be sure, but they confidently empowered employees to propel the ship to its goals. Today, most senior managers spend the majority of their time trying to politically out maneuver one another to capture as much corporate real estate as they can. Two re-orgs in two years. Really? Anyone who is too closely connected to some elements of the old regime have been or are being effectively shelved or "managed out," regardless of skills or capabilities. The new "up and comers" who are taking the place of those kicked to the curb are curiously connected to, or should we say related somehow to the king. Talk about things that make you go "Hmmmmm." Most disappointing is the plight of the middle management and contributor. Once they had a seat at the table, offering fresh ideas and strategies. Today, they have been kicked back into their workstations and turned into not much more than order-takers. Unfortunately, because the compensation packages are good relative to comparable positions, these poor folks will likely continue to grind out their existence being told how stupid they are by senior managers who have to hire outside consultants to tell them stuff that the company's own workforce already knows.

      3.0
      Jul 28, 2013

      Mixed

      Business analyst
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      My most vivid memories of Xcel will always be of the hugely intelligence, fun people I worked with for more than 20 years. I was given slow, but steady advancement during the time I worked there, and there was usually an adequate incentive bonus (only during the time I was a full employee anyway!), and usually there were adequate benefits. For the most part, the workplace was laid back and easy, and the workforce was usually diverse and fun to be a part of. As a card-carrying geek, I might have stood out from some of my crowd sometimes, but I was never led to believe that it was in a bad way. People accepted me into their groups simply for my contribution to our community's success. Those of us in Minneapolis (2013 Summer) know what we went through with the worst weather assault on our grid ever, and we know what this colossal dinosaur or a company was able to mobilize and accomplish over the course of 3-4 days. When you work at the company through a disaster like that, and you accomplish what Xcel accomplished in less than a week, you really feel like you're doing God's work.

      Cons

      * Not all Xcel work environments are created equal. The downtown Minneapolis headquarters is somnolent and stifling. You never know when you might share the elevator with a CEO, and you know he'll never speak to you. The service centers, however, have a much more laid back, democratic air about them. * All of IT should be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up. There has been more than a decade of neglect therein, and nothing would be better for it than a good torch. * Like so many enterprises, the relationship between IT and the Business must be rebuilt anew. There are so few formal ties between those two entities, it is no wonder they seldom complement each other these days. * Xcel Energy is beholden to jurisdictions that include cities, towns, eight states, and the federal government. It's hard to turn around in that environment without bumping into some government geek or other that wants to tell you what to do. Not all geeks are created equal either. Some folks in the government can be really annoying. On the other hand, as we discovered (Mpls 2013 Summer), some folks in your local utility can really get you out of a jam in a hurry. * If you throw yourself into this mix, make sure you have a champion: someone who knows what you do, values it, and can explain to others what you are worth. Without that you will go nowhere!

      2.0
      Jan 13, 2025

      Horrible place to work

      Gas fitter
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The pay is the only thing

      Cons

      This is a very toxic place, the union does not have your back, management does not know what they are doing

      Viewing 97 - 99 of 1,072 Reviews
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      ReviewsXcel Energy reviews

      Glassdoor has 1,297 Xcel Energy reviews submitted anonymously by Xcel Energy employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Xcel Energy is right for you.