Trapped in Mediocrity!!! ( I really wish it was good enough to be mediocre) - Engineering Technician GlobalFoundries Employee Review

1.0
13 July 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pay is on par with SUCCESSFUL Semiconductor Manufacturers. Office areas are very nice (new). Laptops and PC's work great, network is rarely, if ever, down.

Cons

All of this pertains solely to the Malta location. Zero leadership. Not really sure who is in charge here. It appears that most of management has been hired from unsuccessful companies and they have managed to bring all of their propencity to fail with them. Seriously, it seems as if we have all of AMD's and IBM's unwanted fodder running the show here. And boy are they quick to pat themselves on the back even though we are doing next to nothing. A great majority of the engineering staff are recent college graduates with little to no experience. This place has, hands-down, the absolute worst gown-room design ever developed. The person that designed the sandwich-glove step should be fired immediately...dumbest design ever. Ridiculous fab cleanroom suits with built-in hoods. Don't bend over, ever, or you will get a rude surprise wedgie. All of the operations software is recycled garbage from IBM, nothing that will make your life any easier. Seriously, it's terrible when compared to what is available on the open market and from larger comapanies like Intel and Samsung. While the CEO just claimed some bogus safety award, employees have quit due to lack of safety within the fab. The main complaint is that the people calling it safe have zero or near-zero industry experience. But don't ever try to tell them they are wrong or it's the door you will see. No house breathing air... That means you'll need to order several air bottles to do any PM activities on contaminated chambers. Management wants everything polished and pretty for customer inspections yet we have all office stanchion markers printed on copy paper and glue-sticked to the wall. I feel like I work in an elementary school classroom. All of the riggers and construction crew are union workers so don't expect anything done with any modicum of expedience. Even though we have a new parking lot, it is already over-capacity. Get here early (5:30am) if you want a decent spot. The cafe is severely overpriced. A simple lunch should never cost between $12-$15 dollars. Ridiculous. Regardless of weather conditions the fab experiences a power-bump nearly once a week. Everybody with a solid technical background is quitting as soon as their relocation committment is fulfilled (which is two full years). The rules change every day to fit the desired outcome. Nothing is predictable here. It literally feels like I'm working for an amateur factory. Nowhere near on par Management-wise with the big boys (TSMC, Samsung, Intel). I have no faith with our current management, regardless of how good they continue to tell us they are...

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Pros

Great people, work culture, and benefits for interns

Cons

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5.0
10 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Very supportive team and management to work with from the beginning. Many training classes need to be taken in moving forward to align with the company policies and technical procedures. Good benefits and competitive salary. Have a very positive plan for long term career and educational support tuition. The interview and hiring process are long but informative and responded promptly.

Cons

There are many training classes to take so it may put more stress on a new hire if you do not have a good plan.

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