-Zero opportunities for professional growth: From the corporate level, HR will tell you that you are given performance reviews, where you can discuss with your manager, and talk about your opportunities and roadmaps. A great time to be heard and showcase your contributions where you went above and beyond, a chance to demonstrate your technical abilities that are not being utilized to their potential. From there, discussions between the employee and manager can walk through areas of interest where a manager might want to see an employee strengthen his aptitude and also give recognition in the areas of success. That sounds wonderful. In the reality of operation and manufacturing at Bloomington, this was non-existent except for my first year there in 2017, from the manager who hired me and left the company later that year for other opportunities. After that, it was only talked up in large corporate all-hands meetings.
-Unstable, Inconsistent, Unknown: Starting from just my 2nd month of almost 7 years with the company, there are what feels like large random "layoffs" Groups of people, from all accounts good employees that are "let go" or if they are at just above mid-management, then they are leaving on their own accord for one personal reason or another when they're apart of the same swath of employee that got let go. I saw many employees with a wealth of knowledge and at times the only ones with the specific know-how let go after 20 years of loyal support. I had 3 different managers in 1.5 years. The company had 3 COOs in less than 2 years. There are very few positions there that seem stable other than the CEO of course.
-Disappointment: When I first started my journey at what was at the time Rudolph Technologies it seemed like a great place to work full of opportunities for professional and personal growth, a place where your voice was heard, and you felt respected and recognized. And it truly was at one point, however I see now that I was on just the tail end of what was quickly diminishing.
This is an honest and fair review coming from someone who spent almost a decade at the company. I truly wish there would have been a review as honest as mine that I could have read years ago before dedicating so many years to being given nothing but road maps that lead to roadmaps that lead to dead ends. However, I am grateful for having spent all that time working at ONTO Innovation, for it has taught me two very important things; The value of self-advocacy, and self-worth. I had to leave to see that though. Now it's crystal clear to me. Know what you are worth, and learn to recognize when you're being taken advantage of. Those are my only two honest Cons. Lack of opportunity and instability.
