- Pay is average. Bonuses are based almost exclusively on how the business performed (decided by Mars family).
- big lack of accountability, most are afraid to take risks or make mistakes so quick decisions are hard to come by unless there is a fire to be put out.
- 5 principles are applied in a selective manner, but are printed everywhere.
- This is a private company but it may as well be public.
- Cash is king. They will cut corners wherever possible to ensure bottom line is as lean as can be. This includes under-staffing and screwing over external business partners.
- Perception, not performance, is everything (hard to control since open office environment allows for a lot of quick judgment).
- Trust is hard to come by
The flat hierarchy helps younger staff feel important but that doesn't mean everyone is seen as a partner. There are still decision makers who have those in a lower tier "figure out" how to make those decisions come to fruition - the accountability for failure will normally fall on those further down the chain.
Don't think the "Mars" name on your resume will help much externally. The culture is viewed in a pretty negative light by those outside of the business as people who love it will stay (hence why few outside of Mars has a positive outlook)
