Working at Whirlpool in Saint Joseph, MI: 2 Employee Job Reviews by Real Employee working in Saint Joseph, MI Area

"While you cannot judge a large company by one group within, my opinion of Whirlpool is very positive. Interesting project, good community, management, and environment, I would not hesitate to go back should another contract opportunity arise."

What do you like about working at Whirlpool?

"Whirlpool recently built a new headquarters building in Benton Harbor and are continuing to expand the building. It has a very open, collaborative atmosphere with lots of natural light for the 300-400 employees that get to work there (out of 3,000 employees in the area). Most of the people located at the new building are individuals within the sales and merchandising functions (I am not located in that building).In the roles that I've held at Whirlpool, I have liked the aspect that I have been given freedom to do my work and not be micromanaged. This is largely due to the fact that supervisors are so busy with their own tasks they do not have time to micromanage, but still, it can be a benefit. I did not feel like I needed to notify my boss of each dentist appointment or other detail that would take me out of the office for short periods of time, he/she just always trusted that if I was getting my work done those details didn't matter. The schedules can generally be flexible and accomodating for people with kids who need to come in early and leave early to pick children up from daycare. I also have enjoyed the Southwest Michigan location. At first I found it to be small and somewhat stifling but it eventually grew on me and I came to really enjoy it! It is a great area to raise a family. The school systems are good, the neighboring towns are safe, the Lake Michigan beaches are easy to access and there are plenty of recreation activities that the whole family can enjoy! One downside is shopping isn't so convenient (good shopping malls are generally 30-50 minutes away), but it helps you to stick to a budget! Another con for foodies is the restaurants in the area are kind of hit-and-miss and not very diverse, it encourages you to improve on your own culinary skills if you want to eat something a little out of the ordinary."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Know what you want to do with your career. Once you get into the company, you will be asked many times what directions you want to go in. Expect change to occur frequently in the company, most salaried (non call-center) employees stay in their jobs only 1.5-2 years. The job you hire in at will most certainly not be the job you will have after 2 years, and in many cases the department you hire in at will not be the department you are in after 5-10 years (if you choose to move around that much). The people are generally friendly (at least in Supply Chain!) and try to help each other out. However, keep in mind that when it is time for annual reviews, as at many large companies, you will be ranked against your peers on a bell-curve. Even though everyone is friendly, they all know about the ranking system! Even though you might be great talent, you still need to be better than at least 10-20% of your peers, and everyone is struggling not to be in the lowest rank."

What don't you like about working at Whirlpool?

"Lately (in the last 4 years) pressure has been much higher, a do more with less atmosphere. It is a very competitive environment, sometimes to the point of being cutthroat. What used to be a very friendly, family-focused environment is feeling much more corporate as we attempt to continue to win in the marketplace. Some of the family-focus is still present though, being located in a small town it nearly has to be. Hard work seems to be rewarded, as long as the hard work is very visible. Those who are promoted quickly are the ones who best fit the Whirlpool mold and make sure to speak all of the latest lingo and buzzwords. Sometimes it is not the brightest who excel, but the ones who make the most waves and the most changes, even if the changes don't have the best overall results."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"I would focus on product innovation so that we could be truly competitive with LG and Samsung. If we were less backwards in some of our company culture, we wouldn't be struggling so much to keep up with the competition and the work environment would be more pleasant, more proactive and less reactive."