Bloated company where you are just a number - Manager Henkel Employee Review

1.0
28 Jul 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great 401K offering Large company with huge financial resources Get to work with people from all over the world Very large and diverse product portfolio

Cons

Employees are resources to be consumed and discarded ZERO work/life balance - the company owns your soul. Co-workers of mine became hospitalized due to exhaustion because of how much the company requires, especially during projects. Family relationships are also marginalized (which is hilarious when Henkel calls themselves "a family company"). Many marriages border on divorce because of the projects and demand from the company. Very poor leadership with little to no ethics. HIGHLY political environment where VP's shamefully jockey for position over each other. It's embarrassing to witness the behavior of some of these "leaders." If you are not willing to uproot your life and move across the world at the whim of the company, you are considered second rate. Poor ethics - for example there is an anonymous reporting program, but then at the end of the year, you have to disclose whether or not you reported anything. Kind of defeats the point of "anonymous" wouldn't you say? Many managers are in their position for questionable reasons. Henkel is drunk on their own momentum. Their business model depends on buying up successful companies who are pioneers at their craft, then discarding most the legacy employees and then ride the momentum of iconic brands they had nothing to do with. Sadly, in many cases, key customers who once loved those brands now hate them because of how poor of a partner Henkel is. Henkel thinks they are too big to fail (may be some truth to that) and as a result is a very arrogant organization who thinks they have little to learn. The HR dept is absolutely inept and I don't know how many HR staff retain their jobs. I personally was frequently and blatantly ignored trying to communicate with HR and found out this was a frequent occurrence for many employees.

Explore other reviews about Henkel

5.0
13 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits. Clear communication from upper management flow-down. Good working environment.

Cons

Fast pace environment. Work-life balance concern during peak seasons

3.0
2 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The job is not too difficult. You mainly work on your own, Pay and benefits are outstanding.

Cons

12 hour shifts. Only one tech per shift so vacations can be a bit dicey. Support from peers is low and there is a lot of back biting in the lab. Sometimes they seem to be lookng for a scapegoat.

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Henkel Response
5d
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for your contributions over the past year. We’re glad to hear that you value our pay, benefits, and the level of independence in your role. Creating a collaborative, respectful culture where employees feel supported is a top priority, and your comments around peer dynamics and communication will be shared with site leadership. We also appreciate your feedback on training; insights like yours help us identify where we can improve. Thank you again for your honest feedback. It's essential in helping us create a better experience for our teams. Best, Your Henkel HR Team
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