Toxic place to work but pays well if you can put up with it. - Senior Manager Rio Tinto Employee Review

1.0
10 Oct 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Rio Tinto pays well compared to other companies in the industry. Probably 20% more than the average. However, your salary will never change beyond your starting salary plus a small annual inflation bump.

Cons

Toxic work culture. Very hard to get anything done as everyone is resistant to change. Even if the change is an obviously good idea it will get stalled for months then quietly pulled. Perception prevails over reality. By this I mean the loud shouty career politician types who tell everyone how good they are, are seen as much better than the people who are good at doing the actual work. There is also a "woke" agenda in the workplace that is being heavily pushed by HR so that hiring candidates has nothing to do with actual skill anymore. All the VPs run their divisions like feudal warlords. Internal promotions across business units are almost impossible to get as the managers prefer to just hire their mates. It is very much not a meritocracy.

Explore other reviews about Rio Tinto

5.0
18 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Benefits are fantastic, employee share program, inexpensive insurance options with generous HSA contributions ($3000 per year), ample opportunities for career growth for those willing to relocate (internationally sometimes)

Cons

Mining is cyclic, layoffs are always a looming threat, depending on role 50-60 hr work week is common

3.0
11 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Local environment is very friendly and laid back. Everyone is helpful. The benefit package is nice as well. We do get the option to purchase company shares, 100% company match up to 6% for 401k plus additional deposits.

Cons

Our company was recently purchased by Rio Tinto and their IT groups are very secular and specialized which makes it hard to communicate and get things resolved. I’ve also compared my salary to others with the same job title within manufacturing companies in my state and found my salary is way below the benchmark.

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