DSM Employee Reviews for Manager

I worked at DSM for 8 years as a mid-level manager at a North American site. Layoffs are rolled out regularly about every two years, and European management communicates these layoffs in a very tone-deaf way for a North American audience. In general, there is a perception that layoffs in recently acquired companies are primarily how they improve their economic growth, rather than through organic innovation or expansion of exiting markets.

Pros

A good brand name company to have on your resume, lots of training available, international exposure, sensible policies.

Cons

No obvious headcount growth globally and very little organic innovation, the company is not science-driven but rather business and finance driven, they wipe out the innovative culture of companies they acquire

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A Good Place to Work

Manager (Current Employee) - Parsippany, NJ - 1 November 2018

Let's quit comparing any company to a mythological standard. All companies exist to make money and DSM is no different, The difference is that DSM goes further than any other company before they have to lay people off and they are compassionate when they do so. And of course they have managers that should not be but every company has this. DSM has an extensive management development program where any willing manager can develop her skills. They care about the environment, the people, and spend an enormous amount of money on their development. They pay 80% of the health care premium and have incentives for living healthy. Benefits also include 3 weeks paid vacation to start, life, short-term disability, long-term disability plus others, and every year I have been there, they have provided an average salary increase of 3% even when they did not meet their financial goals. So, is DSM perfect? Of course not. But taken as a whole, there are very few companies out there that can compare. Finally, I write this being one of the employees in the Materials group where it was announced that they would be investing less in. This means we have to do more with less and will probably get sold off.. Even then, DSM is a good place to work.

Pros

The company has a heart and truly cares equally about People, Plant & Profits.

Cons

A bit too "one world" mindset.

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Good work environment but wore many hats

Manager (Former Employee) - Augusta-Richmond County, GA - 2 May 2018

Continually improving myself and others on the site. I have a passion for this field and helping others to achieve their goals in life. I learned to listen more but I'm not afraid to raise my hand for safety concerns for my co-workers.

Pros

Healthcare

Cons

Many responsibilities aside from my main role

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Culture shift in progress, unsettled employees

Manager (Current Employee) - Parsippany, NJ - 14 October 2017

The company is small enough for employees to have impact and reach into multiple job functions. Large enough for customers and suppliers to recognize DSM as a market leader. The company has a well respected and clear vision and mission, but struggles to develop a culture to support it. There is a serious lack of training and knowledge management which has caused internal confusion and less than desired business development over the past few years. This is compounded by less and less HR staff as an employee resource. Therefore many new employees to the company feel lost and confused and lacking career direction. There are a lot of good people here, but many are under valued and under utilized as the company looks elsewhere to import a culture they have tried to develop over the past 5 years. The hardest part of the job is a lack of career advancement and visibility to what could be next if you want career growth. The most enjoyable part of the job is the people you work with domestically & globally and the safe, pleasant work environment at most locations.

Pros

Safe working conditions, global network, market respect

Cons

Career development, base pay tends to be lower due to good benefits

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Unorganized processes

Manager (Former Employee) - Troy, MI - 17 November 2016

Difficult to move things forward quickly because everyone is always on vacation. Favoritism in advancements. Unorganized in who makes key decisions. Pay is above average.