I was hired during the most recent hiring "surge" through one of the multiple temp agencies that supplied bodies for their mass hire. It became evident from the start that the members of the two unions that are present at the plant were biased against the temp workers. Through their "surges" there's three levels of employee status: temp, hd-casual, and hd-fulltime. Two months in as a temp I was offered an HD-casual position wherein I was forced to join one of the unions and had to pay an initiation fee of $75 and a reoccurring monthly fee of just under $60 (these fees are non-negotiable... you have to pay them even if you elect not to be a member of the union). I was not a happy union member... I basically felt like I had to pay for an over-priced T-shirt with a monthly subscription fee. Near the end of my employment, I overheard one of the union stewards on my shift discussing the placement of Casual and Fulltime union member employees stating exactly "The fulltime members have precedence over the casuals." Now... I'm not one to complain often (nor brag for that matter)... but I worked harder to keep my job than some of the full-timers did. Namely the ones who would unload a truck, then disappear for hours on end as they'd sit at their desk and play on their phone or go play hooky with their boyfriend in a different department. I paid the same monthly dues as they did, and I'm hearing that my role doesn't matter as much as theirs because they've been there longer... even tho
Prospay, easy to make friends if you showed your worth
Constoo many employees with bad attitudes and undeserved senses of entitlement, worst unions in Kansas City that you have no choice in paying dues to
1. Get in, get coffee, go to computer.
Check all email, go to the company's home site, to check for recall releases, product campaigns and other pertinent information for my department. Share this info with rest of team.
Print daily warranty results, check for parts requested returned to HQ, print their shipping labels, attach with accompanying paperwork to the requested parts, and call appropriate shipping company for pick up time. Log tracking numbers and file.
Go over all warranty parts in-house, update claim information, and move to appropriate location, either for storing per warranty guides, or to be destroyed.
Reconciliate credit memos, close claims credited and file.
Go over all open work orders, verify parts and labor, special order ETA's and make sure customer is advised if there is any change or delay. Keep after technicians to assert that they have all parts for jobs scheduled, and that they stay within expected time lines.
Make sure that work schedule is tight and fluid, and that estimated parts and labor is correct. Prepare materials for next day.
2. Go to the company's website, and take some classes from their on-line university, as I am enrolled in all recognition programs: parts, general merchandise and service. You always learn something new every day, and you can never know too much!
3. Do daily mini meeting with service manager, and weekly meetings with operations manager and owners.
4. Workplace culture...loud rock music, many different personalities, l
Prosnon-traditional work environment, availability to big power machines, camaraderie, the feeling of belonging to "The House", not just your own department, the smiles on peoples' faces when you help resolve a situation for them, or just the look when they get on their bike...
ConsSometimes long hours, seasonal industry which means that winters get slow and we get restless, having to work during riding season...
Tense atmosphere, negative feelings from the regulars. No hope of long-term future with company. Management makes a habit of making false promises.
Harley Davidson was a great place to work. That is until you figure out their game. They use the promise of being hired on permanently, to get people to work their 'surge'. A 6 month long period, where they do an increase of motorcycles and need to hire 100's of people who are willing to sign up for a temporary job. That's how they get you in the door.
First, they promise you that if you are a hard, dedicated worker, you will be chosen for a 'long-term' position. Followed by dangling the promise of hiring you on, as a full-fledged, Harley Davidson employee, with all the bells and whistles that comes with it (benefits).
For most, neither one never comes, no matter how hard you work or how perfect your attendance is. You learn that it is more of a popularity contest than anything. It took me 3 years to get 'long-term' and shortly after, I was 'hired on'. I was ecstatic!! All my hard work finally paid off. They laid me (and others recently hired on) off, 3 months later. Never to be hired on again. Obviously, I was devastated!! I stayed for another year, before realizing and giving up on this 'dream' that they had been feeding me for 4 years.
In conclusion, you never have steady work, you're always being laid-off, but promised a 'future' with Harley Davidson. Even though, they know full well, it's never going to happen. The last time I was laid-off, I wasn't even informed of it. I found out when I went to work and tried to scan my badge at the turnstile
ProsGreat pay
ConsOnly temporary, no future with the company. Lack of communication from management. Tense, unfriendly atmosphere from some of the regular employees.
Exciting and fast paced work environment with a great product.
I usually hit the ground running with early morning meetings as we are a multi-shift facility and support cross shift teams. Participating in team projects is common as well as delivering training in JSA's and incident investigations. I am frequently called upon to respond to issues that arise as well as assist in root cause investigations. When new equipment is purchased I participate in the review and safety sign offs. Ergonomic assessments and evaluations are also regularly performed. Recommending safe solutions as well as safety products is a daily part of my work. Delivery of safety meetings,messages, and recordable rate information / injury data is typical within a given week.
I have learned a lot about motorcycles, manufacturing and a lot about myself in my 14 years with Harley Davidson. My time with Harley Davidson I believe has prepared me well for a career in safety.I have been fortunate to be a contributor during the transformation at H-D. Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Team Concepts and Process Problem Solving are just a few of the many processes and concepts that were implemented.
Harley co-workers are a unique and wonderfully special breed; rugged individualism transformed into teams with great passion and determination sums up what I think of my co-workers.
The most difficult part of my job was working with wonderful people to problem solve and train casual employees to do their jobs when they knew they were going to be laid off. I believe w
ProsGreat pay, benefits, learning opportunities, clean working environment, great safety support
Pros - You get to experience a brand like no other, The customers and employees are fanatics, Get to go to rallies and see the excitement first-hand, Riding and seeing riders on the road is very rewarding, Cool Products, Quality, cosmetics and overall product appeal is unlike any other company, Your friends and family will be impressed that you work there, The pay is about 10% better than other companies in the area, Benefits are good. However, raises are small, CEO - Very smart and personable younger guy, knows how to command a room.
Cons - You are expected to work a minimum of 10 hours a day, no comp days or overtime given in return, This place can easily ruin your personal life, If you work on the floor, bye bye personal life, Very little movement is possible unless you have a masters degree and are in the managers "club", Young people are not going to buy motorcycles like they used to, Even if livewire is released, there is no way this business is sustainable, Hearing about friends and family dying will not make you want to buy one, There are way too many managers that do absolutely nothing, 50% of them could be let go and it would affect nothing.
If you want to sustain the company, focus all of your energy on safety of the rider and getting young people to ride otherwise it will slowly decline to oblivion. (I wouldn't mind)
Treat your employees with respect and don't fire them and lay them off for no reason. Find ways to save money rather then getting rid
I started in 1993. I worked at Cap dr mostly. I started in the assembly area, the old 914 dept for you old guys. Three lines of assembly...XL, Transmission, FL. I worked all three lines. I was then moved to the dock area. Worked with some really good old timers and most truck drivers. Then I was moved to Juneau ave, the original plant. Worked up on the sixth floor, Harleys only paint dept at the time. I still remember how the line would jam up sometimes and shake the parts off the hooks...bang,bang. Then Capitol dr rebuild the old maintenance dept into the new powder coat facility.
Stayed there for about 11 years till they walked me out the door for excessive days off of work. I took all the classes I could from the learning center,,about 10 classes. I was softball manager for 3 years. I headed the fitness committee for 2 years. I was even asked by my co-workers to become a work group advisor when we needed one, (I turned it down). I was dismissed in 2005. I walked out with tears in my eyes and my work boots in my hands. I even worked 21 days in a row keeping product moving so we could meet demand.
Yes, I am sad I was let go. My fault, and I regret it sadly. Today I would of been there for over twenty years. This is a review of how I seen things from my eyes. Harley will continue to be a major force in the world vs other competitors. I miss the old place.
Good luck to everyone...RC
ProsPay, classes, quality of work, employee involvement.
Construe employee contributions not considered as achievements for company progress.
A typical workday began at 5:00 AM and ended at 6:00 PM there was never a dull moment in the plant. From responding to accidents or injuries to working with facilities, departments, and supervisors to address employee concerns, or continue making improvements to the safety of the work force or finding the root cause of injuries or accidents. I was proud to say I was on a team that achieved the lowest accident rating in the history of Harley Davidson. I learned that managing your time was the most important factor of the day and remaining flexible to be where you were needed at the time, ensuring you took the time to listen to employees and supervisors to work out the best solution to any problem. Also working closely with the facilities management teams and operations and general management to bring new robots or machines into the plant and ensuring all safety requirements were met or exceeded our expectations. Going to the manufacturer to work one on one with them to make any necessary changes to the robots, fixtures, or machines prior to installation in the plant. I had earned the reputation of the person that fixes things and that will get the job done, maybe not always pleasing everyone, but always coming up with solutions that everyone could work and live with.
ProsWorking with multitude of different situations and people, learning the inner workings of the robots and machines. Never boring!
It does not matter if you have decades of experience, a higher education diploma and a strong work ethic with integrity. This employer will hire friends and family ahead of the qualified applicant. The proof is in lower sales, lower quality, lower stock value. I left this organization and earn more in a retail venue! I watched as they would hire engineers with no experience or passion for the name brand and have me perform assembly line and fabrication tasks that a robot could perform. The group leaders were abusive and intimidating to new hires. The use of a casual work force created a division among employees that was felt from locker room to lunch room. What a shame that one of the world's greatest name brands was dragged through the mud and the public is well aware of the treatment of employees. The pay was pathetic, working full time with no medical benefits and getting laid off all the time. To summarize: Weak pay scale, abusive authority/group leaders/ supervisors/ , biased hiring on as a "regular", no medical benefits, no 401k, no profit sharing, intimidating attitude of "old hires" towards new hires. No surprise the stock value has tanked since I left and there is no plan to reverse the direction. Shame on corporate for not recognizing the obvious and continuing to perform "business as usual".
Prosa free meal every 5 months...WOW!
Consintimidating supervision, no benefits, no job security, no fair advancements, no music, dismal attitude throughout, no love
As an engineer, the job is rewarding. There is always something to improve and my manager is appreciative of my efforts. For the most part, the coworkers are great, but everyone feels the pressure of understaffing and it has hurt morale and attitudes. There is also a bureaucratic component, coworkers will throw you under the bus in an attempt to make themselves look better to management. The company laid off many employees last year resulting in the remaining employees being overworked, for less pay. We had a pay cut last year and this year they did away with annual merit raises. Instead they are using STIP as our 'reward', claiming that STIP is a better reflection of our contributions. Historically we have gotten STIP for company performance and merit increases for personal employee performance so few employees seem to believe that STIP will be enough. Executives get 20% STIP, managers get 10%, and engineers/professionals get 5% of their annual salary - this hardly seems fair when you consider that executives make $300k, and an engineer may make $75k.
ProsFlexible schedule and WFH for some employees, free fitness center at factory, get to see motorcycles get made
ConsUnderstaffed, frequent layoffs, not vested in 401k match until your with the company 3 years, expensive benefits with high deductibles, no raises, lack of appreciation for employees, does not feel like a 'team' culture, not much room for advancement, unpaid overtime for engineers
A typical day at HD of Pensacola is usually busy from open till close. Morning routine consists of counting registers, housekeeping, and restocking sold items from the previous day. Customers are the top priority, weather you are sizing them, special ordering an item, or answering questions, regardless of what you're doing customers come first. Followed by merchandising and product placement. keeping a fresh floor and rotating product is always important. During any free time housekeeping and inventory are very important. During inventory check it is best to tidy the area while counting product and establish what needs to be restocked or put on sale.
The biker community is very close knit and we can expect many repeat customers; the new tourists that come in on a daily basis are just as important as the repeat customers and are typically very similar to our daily shoppers.
Harley Davidson prides itself on brand educated employees. From day one online testing and training videos are assigned to you. The testing covers basic product knowledge to more advanced sales tactics. After successfully completing so many videos and exams the Harley Davidson Milwaukee Motor Company will send out a congratulatory letter and gift.
Prosdiscounts, fun environment, great cliental, medical insurance, paid vacation
ConsNo room for advancement, stayed late hrs without customers while mainly commission based
Questions And Answers about Harley-Davidson
What is the most stressful part about working at Harley-Davidson?
Asked Jan 12, 2018
This is a place where if you know someone you can get away with murder. Terrible attitudes in corporate and everyone is in fear for their jobs!
Answered Mar 14, 2020
High volume, steady production. Lack of reasonable accommodation for family emergencies.
Answered Mar 6, 2020
What is the work environment and culture like at Harley-Davidson?
Asked Jun 19, 2016
The people who stick around really care about the product they sale as well as the customer base.
The dealership can be nerve racking and rewarding at the same time. Personal experiences may vary.
Answered Sep 11, 2019
I loved working for Harley Davidson itself. The people running the shop ran it down. When new owners took over they refuse to give me an opportunity. I wish there was another dealer around this area.
Answered Apr 10, 2019
What questions did they ask during your interview at Harley-Davidson?
Asked Sep 8, 2016
First and foremost, compensation. What are the hours, what are the benefits and why should I work there. How well do the various departments work together.
Answered Sep 11, 2019
What makes you want to work for this company
Answered Aug 24, 2018
How are the working hours at Harley-Davidson?
Asked Jun 28, 2016
Be on time in the morning, leave if no one is buying a bike at the end of the night or stay until you are done with deals.
Answered Mar 5, 2019
40 hour work week is minimum. More is expected based on demands.
Answered Jul 18, 2018
What is the vacation policy like at Harley-Davidson? How many vacation days do you get per year?
Asked Jan 19, 2018
Hourly personnel gets 1 week to start. more at 7 years.
salary personenel starts with 3 weeks and gets off for the holidays.
Answered Sep 16, 2021
Normal for large companies - a couple weeks to start, more over time.
