Spencer Platt / Getty Images
- Tesla employees have expressed a wide range of opinions about what it’s like to work at the electric-car maker.
- Some have found the company an exciting and inspiring place to work, while others have found CEO Elon Musk to be a frustrating and temperamental boss.
- Business Insider spoke with nine current and former Tesla employees who shared what shocked them most about working at the company.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Tesla has gone through plenty of ups and downs during its 15-year history, from nearly going bankrupt to posting its first consecutive profitable quarters.
The company is known as a demanding place to work, due in part to the high expectations of CEO Elon Musk, and employees have expressed a wide range of opinions about what it’s like to work there. Some have found their jobs exciting and inspiring, while others have found Musk a frustrating and temperamental boss.
Business Insider spoke with nine current and former Tesla employees who shared what shocked them most about working at the company. Each of them was granted anonymity due to a fear of reprisal from Tesla.
Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it’s like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.
Tesla talked about worker safety, but didn’t practice it
Tesla
"It really surprised me that they preached safety so much and they really weren’t practicing it that much on the floor," a former project manager who left the company over four years ago said.
The former employee said Tesla did not do a good job of making production tasks ergonomically friendly. For example, employees would sometimes have to repeatedly crouch or reach above their heads to grab parts.
How much employees loved Elon Musk
Reuters/Noah Berger
A former production employee who worked at the company over 10 years ago said he was surprised by his coworkers’ attitude toward Musk.
"When he walked by, people would bow down to him," the former employee said. "That was kind of surprising to me."
How often Musk was around
60 Minutes
A former engineering manager who left the company two years ago said he was surprised by how often he saw and interacted with Musk.
"He’s so involved," the former employee said. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen another CEO of any company that I’ve been associated with, ever, and then, moreover, been close to him, talked to him, had a meeting, had him ask my thoughts."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – mmatousek@businessinsider.com (Mark Matousek)