Xcel Energy reviews

Job duties for the same job description vary wildly across the company. This means that an employee in one area may do a lot more than the same job description employee in another area, but both could get the same rating at the end of the year. That means the same percentage raise/incentive for someone who is actually doing "more" than someone in a different area. If you go above and beyond and take on other duties that are not in the actual job description, it becomes "part" of your job, and as such, you get the same rating as someone just doing what is in the actual job description. IPAD's are based on the company's goals for the year, so they are basically written for everyone - not individualized. I liken it to the "no child left behind" philosophy where teachers have to "teach the test" to make sure all their students pass . . . nothing else matters. Lastly, Xcel puts their corporate initiatives in the wrong areas. Example - there is has been a big "branding" push. We, as employees, need to tell everyone how great Xcel is. Well, Xcel is good in some ways, but when a company can't get an "employer of choice" designation even after countless internal and external surveys, they need to really take a closer look at what is really important.

Utility industry is heavily regulated and the bureaucracy is worst than most other industries. Very structured, rigid environment makes it difficult to be creative or affect any real change. Salaries lag other industries for comparable work.