Silo-ed Teams and Detached Management/Leadership - Analyst Mars Employee Review

1.0
Nov 14, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Company does have some basic principles in place that give some cultural foundation. Most non-management associates are welcoming and good to work with. Fair pay, fair flexibility on schedule (depending on manager), fair vacation and benefits. Company has strong brands which keep the company in business.

Cons

Leadership Team is very detached and lacks basic knowledge around day to day and customer specific operations. Leadership's lack of customer knowledge leads to lack of direction and ambiguity. Teams/segments are very silo-ed. Leadership Team makes decisions without understanding impacts and due to not understanding customer specific nuances, create a lot of rework and perception becomes Leadership is unapproachable in terms of proactive work and collaborative corrective solutions. Leadership detachment also leads to not understanding associate workload and morale. Company also claims adherence to 5 principles but sadly, the principles are so subjective it's like reading a horoscope. One day you may be a Libra, Pisces, and Leo and the next day you could be a Taurus and Capricorn, so to speak. 5 Principles are also arguably outdated and lead one to believe the organization drives via looking in the rearview mirror as opposed to the windshield. Company IT systems are completely outdated and segmented into separate logins/applications for everything. Terribly inefficient, not a process driven organization, or an organization that is set up for agility or adaptability success in the long run. Company and Leadership Team make top line ditch to ditch decisions which causes a lot of reactivity. Staffing moves are done in mass with little understanding of role nuances or customer based nuances that impact some roles. Perpetual cycle of hiring in new folks and then cutting back/restructuring once they figure things out. Long term career plan is not as co-piloted as one would hope. You have input but ultimately, Leadership and Line Managers decide your next role and location. Calibration process is done via Leadership committee that due to detachment, really have no understanding of your performance. Company is also considerably top and middle heavy in terms of leadership, which leads to restructuring frequently or trimming down lower level teams. Very symptomatic of high degree of politics playing favorite to actual performance.

Explore other reviews about Mars

5.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I’ve been at Mars (Yorkville site) for about three months as a Quality Systems Senior Specialist, and so far it’s been a great experience. Everyone has been genuinely friendly, welcoming, and willing to help. The culture feels very supportive—people want to see you succeed and are quick to share knowledge and offer guidance. My manager has been amazing and is truly invested in my growth. She’s helped set clear expectations, encouraged development, and provided the tools and support I need to be successful.

Cons

None so far—still new, but my experience has been very positive.

4.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people who believe in a common mission. Strong leadership and support.

Cons

Budgets and decision making for technical programs are centralized at a high level with little to no consideration for how it affects individual programs and their unique needs. Heavy bureaucracy involved in setting up simple things.

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