Kimberly-Clark reviews

4.0

77% would recommend to a friend

(3,034 total reviews)
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Michael D. Hsu

83% approve of CEO

61% positive business outlook

Kimberly-Clark has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 3,034 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Kimberly-Clark employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufatura industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
1.0
Sep 19, 2009

An Unpleasant Place to Work

Anonymous employee
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Generic, median-level benefits. Nothing to brag about, but it's better than not having benefits at all. But nothing that you wouldn't expect to receive at any large corporation.

Cons

First, the longstanding negatives about the company culture: 1. Excessive risk aversion and maladaptive reactions to failure. Upper management plays it ultra-cautiously and has missed many business opportunities over the years. Now we have a boatload of creaky brands with products that are becoming commoditized. (if they're not already.) If you're an employee and you take a risk -- and things don't work out -- you get hammered. So why stick your neck out to help the company? Don't rock the boat if you want to keep your job. 2. Vacillating upper management. Regarding company strategy and tactics, first it's one thing and then another. And then it's back to the first thing again. Employees are forever "re-looping" as priorities change haphazardly. Much good work is placed on the shelf only to be revived at a later time. Then other employees retrace the steps of their peers. And the cycle repeats itself, endlessly. Now for the negatives that have arrived more recently: 1. An oppressive, punitive employee evaluation system. K-C is in the fifth year of an "employee forced ranking" system, with set percentages mandated for each of various grade levels. That includes surprisingly high percentages for the lowest "you're in trouble" grades. But what if no one in a particular peer group has truly performed poorly? When there are no fair and proper reasons to skewer someone, and someone must be skewered, you have a recipe for unfair treatment. The reader is free to imagine the machinations and political maneuverings that occur under this system. And if you can imagine it, it probably has happened. Then there are the many "leadership qualities" that employees are expected to demonstrate. The problem is that everyone is supposed to demonstrate all of them, all the time. It doesn't leave much room for individuality, and when you combine it with the historical "don't rock the boat" culture, it amounts to employees being treated like school children. With smarmy teachers constantly on your back. Now kids, don't forget to be visionary, act collaboratively, look both ways before crossing the street, tuck in your shirts, and never ever do anything that I wouldn't do... etc. etc. 2. Process madness. There isn't a problem within K-C that a new process can't resolve. Or so upper management would have you believe. There are official, proscribed ways of doing nearly everything, including altering the processes. It doesn't matter if it's a highly regulated area or not; this company thinks that process is where it's at. Working there is like donning a straight jacket. The freedom to use your personal judgment is being progressively limited. Some standardization is advantageous, of course, but K-C goes terribly overboard.

4.0
Sep 16, 2009

Great People so-so pay

Anonymous employee
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Awesome people mostly the oldtimers treat you very well. They all agree the company was great to work for for many years. Fun working this is best job I have ever had.

Cons

Pay and bennys are being cut as an excuse. Although the company has been doing very well and making very good profits. Pay is stagnant in technical fields depending on location. Not a very clear direction, alot of corporate slogans that don't make a bit of difference.

1.0
Aug 11, 2009
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Good pay, excellent benefits and employee support programs.

Cons

Every negative symptom of "big corporate culture," Kimberly Clark had. No room for innovation or idea input. Leadership that was only concerned with looking good to their superiors and a general lack of caring among employees.

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Glassdoor has 5,329 Kimberly-Clark reviews submitted anonymously by Kimberly-Clark employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Kimberly-Clark is right for you.