With such a huge global presence at first glance PPG seems like an opportunity to advance a career, but within a few months you'll realize you've been indexed. Unless you're buddies with the right people, you're not going anywhere no matter how good you are. Furthermore, they hire outside more than inside for management and the higher pay positions: usually someone the management knew or a place they worked. I have a college degree, many years of customer and sales experience and still couldn't advance by working diligent and asking for the advancement. The company pays so little that it's hard for even a store manager (also over worked at 12 hr days) to survive on the salary. The equipment and stores are so dated and needing repair that you'll need to work around it because the management is reluctant to replace or repair it. Stores are run with as minimal employees as humanly possible (1-3 per store average) which means you will be swamped and overworked making the little pay not worth it: especially when you are worried about covering your monthly basic bills. If someone calls in, you're in for a rough day. Despite being constantly praised for good work I was paid .24 cents for my one and only raise in a year ($12.24/hr). Advancement to make higher pay is also kept slow. You'll find you can take a test to make a .50 cent raise, but you can't take the next test (.50 cents) for 6 months. If you don't pass the test, you can't take it again. You'll be asked/demanded to cover s
ProsFun people, job security
ConsLow pay, incredible workloads, poor management, no advancement
Great when you start out, not when you're there for a longer time.
Initially, learned a lot about different apps/systems.
Typical day of work for the starting analyst involves learning a plethora of apps/systems/environments, and taking calls - anywhere from 10-35 calls a day (varies due to season & # of analysts working on the shift).
After becoming eligible - will be able to work off-shifts/overnight shifts (4-12am, 6-2am, 11:30pm-7am)
Service desk is global and 24x7x365. On off-shifts you'll have customers from Australia and China.
After your first raise, you'll receive a SME (Subject Matter Expert) role. These vary, and there are a number of them. But there are a handful of them that are essentially worthless - they don't carry any additional knowledge and responsibility. The availability of the GOOD SME roles is based on luck - when you get your raise, and what SME group needs an additional analyst at that time (Max is 4). Down the line, you'll eventually receive additional SME roles (up to 2 for a total of 3).
After 18 months of employment you're eligible for a tier 3 job, but good luck getting one if it's available or if the tier 3 teams don't play favorites.
It's a fast-paced, competitive environment. If you're not doing well enough by your second milestone (basically a review of your progress), you will most likely be fired, because you can be very easily replaced. Since the position moved from Contractors to Employees, job security is a thing of the past.
The most enjoyable part of the service desk is the other s
ProsExcellent Co-workers & Team Leads, a lot of information to learn.
ConsManagement - Favoritism, Little to no amount of communication to the individual analyst, Management doesn't listen to service analysts opinions when trying to improve processes, Advancement Opportunity - If you're lucky otherwise you'll be stuck on the helpdesk.
Good people in general, poor pay rates, poor communication and education.
I have only worked on the Architectural Coatings side of the company and have held various positions within that market. This is not a review of the company as a whole, merely the AC side.
It was a positive experience in regards to the people I've worked with, as most are genuine and hard working which compliments the similarly characterizable customer base.
Management in general seems to be interchangeable leading to a despondence amongst the average workers. Most, if not all, coworkers that I interacted with above the hourly level are self-taught with all the resilience and lack of refinement that you would expect from years of pervading vague management.
There is opportunity for advancement within the company, but be prepared to be left to fend for yourself if you want training for your newly acquired position. The pay scale for a promotion is based on a minuscule percentage of what you made at your previous position within the company, so you better bargain well for your money from the beginning.
I have worked in areas of management and can confidently say that by far the most off-putting characteristic of the company is being heavy handed in micro management but hazy on education. There is a culture of abundant paperwork and unexplained expectations. A common response when asking for assistance in understanding proper procedure is to be told to ask someone else in your same position, or worse being pointed to their dizzyingly clunky "store assistance" webs
ProsThey always pay on time, benefits are actually top rated.
ConsPoor management, excessive hours, detestable education on procedure and expectations.
Typical day involves sampling coated flat glass product, adjusting machine to keep coating within quality specs, troubleshooting problems and fixing same as they may occur, as well as aiding Maintenance in problem identification. Daily checklist of machine temps., flows.and potential problems done everyday, also. Weekends are devoted to opening up coating machine to do weekly repairs/replacement of parts in this high maintenance machine. Also assisting machine operator, and performing the Operator job in his absence is required, as well as building of machine components as necessary.
I have learned to do all tasks required for this position, and co-workers and management have told me that I do quality work.
Management is striving to increase production and quality, but are stuck in a period of high experienced employee loss (retirements, etc.). Unfortunately, this shifts a higher degree of stress/workload to remaining knowledgeable employees remaining until newer employees can be brought up to speed. Also, employee input does not seem to be given the consideration this very specialized process/machine would seem to warrant.
Being hired during the last recession at a lower pay scale, yet doing the identical tasks as those hired before this period, is hardest part of going to work as this seems to impart "second class citizen" status. Also, regrettably, outside the workplace friendships can highly affect in the workplace decisions, giving some a favored status. This ca
This is very fast place, the line moves 12 feet per minute and loaded with heavy and hot car parts. You work at the line which is about 6 feet from the oven.I am very lucky to drive forklift but I still feel the heat and sweat all the day. You have to drink liquid like a fish and you get 3 breaks, two 10 minutes paid and 30 minutes lunch un paid. The break is not enough for me and this company needs to hire more people. People quit because the pay is not enough for this job. The temps get $15 an hour but many people quit after a day or two, and some after few hours.
The management claiming that the company is not making enough money. In my opinion that is very far from the fact. I counted more than $45.000 in 15 minutes but not all parts the same. If this company wants to keep good people it is very simple and all it takes just few extra dollars, longer breaks and more fans. This is my advise for the best of this company.
In my case I do not care about this job anymore. I am going to find other job because I cannot make it with this pay. I make $14.50 but I am full time not temp. Can you believe it? This means I make 50c less than the temp. This is first time I ever made less than the temp while I am full time + I drive forklift. In my opinion this is a wage discrimination (google it) because I am full timer, have forklift experience, and I should at least make what the temp makes. But I am making less than what the temp makes who does labor work. Yes the company cl
An exciting and innovative workplace with skill building opportunities
As an apprentice my first priority was to become a master refinisher with automotive, commercial, and aircraft technology. Based at a Training Facility I assumed a role as a head instructor for teaching new and improved ways of maximizing waterborne and solvent paint techniques and technology. I had to continuously research company products inside and outside of the refinish devision and have a well rounded understanding of each. I accompanied different Territory Managers on product installs, technical calls, sales calls, and training weekly. I attended meetings to find solutions to refinish problems. I completed many sales tactic and leadership classes provided by the company with confident results.
I learned that experience isn't measured by the length of time gained but rather the willingness to continuously improve the first experience taught.
Management was supportive and motivational.
Co-workers were encouraging and challenging.
The most difficult part of the job was breaking the age and gender gap between myself and students and co-workers. With determination and hard work I gained the respect of students and co-workers.
The most enjoyable part of the job was helping professional refinishers improve their technique with lasting results.
ProsAdvance technology, Top of the line equipment, bountiful resources, professional improvement classes
ConsTravel 60%, Hazardous materials, uncertainty of territory location
From top to bottom an overall good organization. My negative comments relate directly to the Aurora location in which these positions are available. PPG can not get ANYONE internally to voluntarily relocate to Aurora and they groom supervisor just for these type of opportunities. The Aurora location is operated like a unionized workshop HOWEVER it is not union; the employee handbook is a localized handbook meaning each location has it's own handbook and it comes off like a union contract. The vast majority of the employees in the Aurora location are good natured, productive employees; with that being said there is a CORE group that are apposed to change and corporate and Human Resources will ultimately back the employees! The forklift operators current compensation is about 16 - 18 an hour, and there are absolutely no productivity standards and more importantly THEY DON'T WANT THEM!!! The two supervisors on 1st and 2nd shift can barely stand one another long enough to be in the same room together, so it created such a hostile work environment. One is VERY STANDOFFISH, to the point where if you walked in the shipping office to have a conversation with him for anything he would talk to you with his back turned while never acknowledging your presence. The 2nd shift supervisor is far more concerned about being "liked" than any other factor in running the business. ONE OF THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY MANAGEMENT CAREER!!!!!
Proscompensation
Conslack of training, employee relations with management
I had a bad experience, but I'm sure not all locations/departments were like mine
The biggest issues were company politics, management not caring about workers or the department as a whole and HR. I know not all locations and departments would be the same as my experience. But I worked at the coatings innovation center, which is where all the R&D happens. If you didn't have a PhD you were a second class citizen and treated like you clearly can't think. They mostly hire contractors for long term positions they refuse to fill and pay you fairly. If you are a contractor, or have ever been one you are treated really poorly. There were office politics and department drama, clear favoritism and in general a toxic environment. HR is not your friend, they are there to figure out how to not get sued while their managers either personally or by letting co-workers verbal and mentally abuse you. There were a few good apples, but they typically got taken advantage of, stepped on, passed over for the individuals that played the game in the worse possible way.
It's a large company, so there are perks, better pay if you do actually get hired full-time, benefits, "work-life balance" (better if you have kids and a family, sucky if you are a single person). So do your research and really look at the group, location, etc. You have to move out to move up in your career though.
Prosgood starting pay (if you are hired full-time), benefits, cafeteria onsite (at the location I was at)
Consoffice politics, often toxic work environment, bad managers, little-to-no advancement
Regular workers end up in one of two places. Upstairs where raw materials are weighed up, and downstairs, where the materials are processed.
The upstairs workers are constantly behind due to materials being out of stock or the previous shift not finishing their quotas. There is a lot of animosity and infighting between the shifts.
The downstairs workers are constantly fighting with errors from the upstairs crew and failing machinery.
Management always drags their feet to repair faulty machinery. This leads to a lot of temporary fixes the make problems worse. There is still contention between the different shifts, but less than the upstairs crew.
There is a lot of favoritism by management. They have a favorite shift that isn't the most productive shift, but the one that has the longest employed workers. There are favorite workers who can get away with doing less work and making more errors than new hires. Certain individuals that are very good at their jobs can get taken advantage of to fix their coworkers mistakes while the coworker who made the mistake is never corrected or disciplined. Hard work is not rewarded the way it should be here.
Management is very out of touch with their workforce and has little to no interaction with them. Most workplace improvement is solely to impress visiting corporate management, and not to improve issues with production lines.
ProsPaid lunch, easy work
ConsLots of cleaning up after others, out of touch management
not too bad to work there if you can deal with fiberglass
they have prescribed times that everything needs to be done in. sets of full packages and break out packages are timed separately. full packages need to be doffed tagged and put on a truck new tubes put on and wound back in, in 2 minutes, it is possible to have 10 positions to run 30 sets (2 or 3 packages per position) of full packages in an hour AND to have break out positions in the same hour, positions that break out are allowed 6 minute handling times, this isnt including pushing out full trucks and empty ones in, and keeping your work area clean. there is a little leeway given if the set is running bad but you would sill have to be within 2.5 minutes for full and 7 minutes for breakouts.its not really easy to make these goals, BUT even tho these time maximums are in place if another worker on another crew is making better numbers than what is required, you will be talked to about it.Well i'm 52 and the other 3 shifts were working 20 - 22 year olds on the set and they were in competition with each other. Even tho my handling times were within prescribed time limits i was told i would have to meet their times or i would get a reprimand. I think this was an idle threat, so the supervisor wouldnt look bad, but uncalled for as i was doing my job properly
Proscompensations and good pay
Conscompetition above and beyond what was required, mandatory overtime only guaranteed 1 day off per week due to staffing shortages
I had worked in PPG Aerospace, Mississauga ,ON,Canada as a seal cap producer from 2009 til 2012.The agency Manpower had placed me there. It was a good work environment to be in and I enjoyed my initial year.There were a few genuinely good few people in the plant. The work environment started getting worse when the new quality manager stepped into the plant and the plant supervisor who was a good man lost control of the proceedings. The quality manager was a highly controlling man ,cruel and insensitive all put together. The plant soon began to be run on the whims of the moment of this man. While this guy was strong in technical aspects, the disadvantage was that he was a misfit in dealing with people. Shortly afterwards,I was let go on the orders of the quality manager for doing a procedure in the manner in which the plant supervisor had told me. I had been in the plant 2yrs and 7months.In between my stay in PPG,Aerospace the Plant Manager had abused his authority to hire 2 people into the plant who were much junior to me and to many others working there just because they were his favorites. The plant depends heavily on its seal caps business for its survival. While I can understand why there is no hiring, since it is the single most expenditure on a company's budget,I was disappointed at the lack of transparency and favoritism when there were the odd few hirings. Whatever that happens is for a reason and I believe that I was let go because something better had to come my w
ProsThe Plant Supervisor
ConsPlant run on the whims of 2 or 3 people and not on a constitution
Questions And Answers about PPG Industries
If you were in charge, what would you do to make PPG Industries a better place to work?
Asked Jul 20, 2017
Get rid of Upper Management they treat us badly
Answered Nov 12, 2021
Change managment
Answered Sep 17, 2020
What questions did they ask during your interview at PPG Industries?
Asked Feb 9, 2018
Tell me about yourself?
Inquired about graduate course experience, what was your favorite course and why?
Hypotheticals relevant to job about what suggests I would make to improve a specific aspect of the department.
Why do you want to work for PPG, and why this position?
Answered Oct 20, 2020
Tell me about yourself and prior experience
Answered Sep 9, 2020
How long does it take to get hired from start to finish at PPG Industries? What are the steps along the way?
Asked Jun 19, 2016
I started my career with Products Research and Chemical Corporation
Answered Jul 12, 2020
About 20 days, drug test, background check etc
Answered Sep 25, 2019
What is the interview process like at PPG Industries?
Asked May 20, 2016
Ghosted! Made it to the last round (of 3) interviews and was told they'd be in touch. Never heard another word. Not professional.
Answered May 21, 2021
Not professional
Answered Sep 9, 2020
What tips or advice would you give to someone interviewing at PPG Industries?
Asked Jul 9, 2017
Set the expectation bar low and don't waste time applying for any position unless you have a college degree. All the experience, knowledge and accomplishments in the World mean nothing to them without that golden piece of paper.
Answered Jan 14, 2020
This is not a permanent job for you because you overwork find something that you can make good money and still have time to yourself
