Charles Koch Had the Right Idea—Too Bad Middle Management Didn't Get the Memo
Pros
- INVISTA is apart of Koch Industries, a very big private company. This widens other potential opportunities within the Koch Umbrella. - Principled-Based Management (PBM) is an amazing framework and a big reason why I joined the company, but their lack of application will haunt them and if you're working with those who actually use it, not just perform lip service. - 401k and matching is amazing and one of the best I've experienced in 14+ years of working in the workforce. - I love Charles Koch. If he continued to run the company, I'm sure middle management would not be in the mess they're in right now. In summary, I've enjoyed my 7+ years at Koch. Unfortunately, the challenges were more about dealing with politics and unethical employees rather than project challenges. I wish it were the other way, but I still learned from my experience and am truly grateful for it.
Cons
- If your role is related to data in any capacity, stay away from Koch Industries or any of its affiliates as they are outsourcing to India at a very high rate. - They promote foreign workers based on visa status, giving them new titles like Senior or Lead to make it appear they're progressing and to maintain their visa status. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens who work just as hard retain the same entry-level titles. - Much of middle management is made up of emotional women or men who act like emotional women. - TUITION reimbursement is a joke and all depends if your supervisor wants to reimburse you or not because it still comes out of their cost center. - They DO NOT accommodate REMOTE workers at all, even though my disabled son has daily seizures and requires me to work from home. - PATERNITY LEAVE isn't always as straightforward as it seems, with managers often pressuring you not to take the full leave, claiming "it doesn't look good for you." - When they say you can find other roles because it's a big company, it's not always true. If your supervisor dislikes you or your style, they can significantly impact your success at Koch. Fortunately, I managed to work through it and join a great group. In summary, like many companies, they have their flaws. It's unfortunate that Koch/INVISTA's executive leadership only sees the theatrics of middle management. Overcoming many of these challenges during my seven years at Koch was a blessing, as I navigated and overcame a lot of their in-office politics.
