3M reviews

This might be true for any large company, but it is really hard to stand out for a raise. The promotions/raise system is set up in such a way to keep everyone below industry median pay at all times. Not very competative. Little reward for doing an awesome job or 'performing at a much higher level'. It's like communism, everyone is the same, which rewards lazy people and chases away great workers that are willing to fight and take risks (what 3M needs most now). It used to be that 3M paid their employees less but offered more intangible benefits like a secure job, flexible hours and a more freedom for research. These benefits are gone, and the pay stays low.

Process and Product Engineers tend to have a lot of overtime during night hours or early mornings when you get calls from operators and they need help (this is unpaid of course). Additionally, if there are new product trials, you will need to put in a lot of extra hours that cut into personal time or rest hours. 3M also places new engineers right out of college into the more undesirable locations, which means that not many people stick around for long.