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Harley-Davidson, Inc.

Engaged employer

Quality people in engineering. Poor Engineering Leadership. - Powertrain Engineer Harley-Davidson, Inc. Employee Review

1.0
28 Mar 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The best part of working at the H-D Product Development Center is the people who have been there long enough to know how great it used to be to work there. They are still trying to get the culture back by putting the focus back on the product and less on the development process. The resilience of these people along with their passion for the product is truly impressive.

Cons

The leadership at the H-D Product Development Center has created a culture of fear that has crippled the constructive conflict required in engineering. I have watched too many good people get pushed out of their jobs because they resisted compromising the quality of their work and designs as leadership was requesting them to. Engineering does not have enough weight in decision making. Marketing, Styling and Purchasing have the majority vote in defining new product. More projects are canceled than launched due to unrealistic project targets set by Marketing, Styling and Purchasing. Career development in Engineering is typically ignored. Interviewing for internal positions is usually unfair. Many highly qualified people get pegged as "not a team player" (aka they don't drink enough cool aid) and they aren't able to advance. If you want to advance you better be a good self-promoter. Arbitrary caps on promotion are applied to certain positions in engineering without reason or explanation.

Explore other reviews about Harley-Davidson, Inc.

5.0
6 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great Place to work, and learn about motorcycles

Cons

Promotion from Senior To Staff can take a while, but that's standard for most legacy OEMs

5.0
25 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My hiring journey began with a seamless application process, followed immediately by an incredibly organized scheduling phase. The Harley team kept me informed every step of the way. I never had to guess where I stood, as next steps were always laid out clearly. During the interview experience the entire Harley team panel was professional, welcoming, and were genuinely interested in my background, making the interview feel like a collaborative conversation. The transparency throughout the process gave me complete confidence when I ultimately accepted the job offer.

Cons

I have no cons to call out based on my experience in the interview process.

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