sales associate

fitness specialist

technician

retail sales associate

sales

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

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 though I worked harder? Not disgruntled... but very disgusted.

That being said, there is not a job in that plant that I did that was difficult; and if you prove that you're willing to actually work and work competently, the majority of the other employees will treat you with respect. 

Advancement is nearly like chasing the Golden Goose; when 'surge' started, there were close to 30 people in the materials department between the receiving dock and line support on my shift. That number was dropped to three (including myself, and two HD-fulltimers) after the initial layoff. On-site drug testing was the majority of the temps downfall during surge, as most of the people that were fired couldn't keep their urine clean while employed, and HD will make a person 'drop' for the smallest incident (reasonably so, considering a the cost of the parts that go on the bikes). After said layoff, there were thirteen people total in the Materials department on my shift (including CKD and engine sequencing). That number was further reduced due to zero because HD outsourced the materials to an outside storage facility. The outside company that took over had repeated issues with keeping the plant supplied with parts, causing the plant to shut down production early on multiple occasions (on day and night shift, both)... giving the feel that even a full-time job isn't secure.

The job was great while I had it and HD and the unions had more control. I wouldn't return though, as benefits are only available to full-timers, and it seems that you have to be an employee for multiple years before you achieve that status. The overall experience was like a high school drama wearing the facade of a business suit.

The other reviewers who've complained about the work schedule and/or breaks have terrible work ethic IMO. Ten hour shifts for (normally) four days a week... I don't know a single person that complains about multiple three day weekends per month. Mandated overtime wasn't a regular occurrence... once, MAYBE twice a month. As well, enough time was given IMO to know when it was going to happen. Overtime days were so simple (and most of the time unnecessary) that earning time and a half went by so quickly that it didn't matter. Basically it was like saying, "Thank you for a larger check while I sit on this chair waiting for your outsourced company to get me the parts I need to build this bike."

Additionally... and this also boggles my mind... the plant went "tobacco free" at the beginning of the year. Apparently, this was a deciding factor on whether a slew of employees quit (those of which had worked there for years). If that doesn't give you an impression of the job... that the need for nicotine every two and half hours was more valuable to some people than keeping a simple career that they'd had for years... MIND: BLOWN.

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, lots of independent decision making on your feet, loud motorcycles, exited staff and employees - we love what we do.., and making sure that the difficult parts of our jobs, looks easy and transparent to our patrons.
5. The hardest part of my job is, and always has been, being a woman in a male dominated industry, and proving that I do actually possess the skills and know-how that my position requires. And, of course, putting up with grown up boys mentality...that is probably the hardest part...
6. What I love about my job, is the smell of gasoline in the morning, the thunder of the bikes being moved around...I  love problem solving, finding solutions to "impossible" problems, thinking outside the box, making customers feel taken care of, cared for and part of our "family".
And the detective work of warranty management! Love it.

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 and it wouldn't work. Access denied, my badge had been deactivated of course,  because I was laid-off.  Management just failed to inform me of that fact. 

Also, not many of the original Harley Davidson employees are very happy to see you come in the door and some make your life miserable, just because they think you don't have a right to be there.

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 we all accomplished that with grace and integrity in difficult times. Next to that, all else is very manageable. 
The most enjoyable part of my job is helping people improve their work and home life and helping them to stay safe each and every day! Striving for safety excellence and zero injuries is my target every day.

You have a minimum call requirement for the week to cold call 150 people or more who everyone has already stomped on and hate getting your calls. You also need to send 25 text and 50 emails out. You need to great everyone and they hate when you great them because they think you're trying to sale them something.  You will Learn alot about motorcycles. The work culture can be related to that of a cult. You have to get in front of everyone and yell. Motorcycle are fun! Harleys the brand! Manchester harley is the place!  It is easy to buy! We want your trade! The time is now! Kings of the world on three! One! Two! Three! And that's every morning. On top of that your belittled infront of the others for your morning training when they ask you a question and you respond with something they don't agree with. The hardest part of working at manchester harley is the gossip and everyone is Two faced. One second there telling you that you did good and when you step out of the room there calling you ignorant and putting you down. Rumors will be spread about you and if you don't go the extra mile to do something for others and earn yourself a "care" they don't "care" to have you around. I will say it is not all bad here on top off all that they do pay you 1800 a month. The only problem is the management plays favorites and if your not his favorite you may end up owing the company money because if you don't sale enough bikes you have to pay a draw and it's easy to dig yourself in a hole. They do have free hot dogs or pizza in the end of the month so try to enjoy that after working 45+ hours every week and only making 3200 of which you need to pay back to the company if you don't sale anything. In the end no one wants a overpriced indian.

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 of your "most important asset" (sign found on the entrance). The flow of cash on projects is extremely wasteful and could easily be pared back.

Use the strength finder test that you give the employees when they get hired on for ACTUALLY CULTIVATING THEIR STRENGTHS! Lots of wasted talent.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Motorcycles are obviously fantastic.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The environment is not at all stressful. It's shocking to see so many employees upset and stressed over the work - they ruin the mood at work and everyone is always getting in the way of each other, which doesn't make any sense.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Promotions are based on nepotism (married couples/family etc.), as well as duties.

The structure is not at all professional. The engineers do not care about rider feedback. You can tell them until you are blue in the face that their product is defective. They'll just tell you that you don't know what you are talking about. Until, the product fails and the rider sustains serious injury requiring the company to pay a significant amount of money. This is when HR will email you and state that they have to separate with you because your recovery is taking too long even though you have had to go through multiple surgeries due to their known defective product. 

"Safety," is a word without meaning. Management wants you in gear that has H-D logos. They do not care about fit, function, or safety. Got an airbag? They'll tell you that you can't use it. Got quality proven safety equipment? They'll tell you that you can't use it. However, if you are involved in nepotism, you can use whatever you want.

Most of the management doesn't even ride motorcycles.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
You ride or perform what you are assigned. Again, not at all stressful in any way.

If you find this stressful, tying your shoes must be an absolute nigh mare.

   It was a temp to hire in a 6 month window. I
saw it as being given a trust that in noway can
be compromised in the slightest. Every effort to any job whatever or wherever that may be
should have the same applied. This is not just
any Job! No matter the job your doing there it
is making you a part of the whole so without
that piece that bike is not complete. History, 
allowing you to be part of Harley-Davidson's
History by their trust in you. That, by itself was
the biggest sense of pride I ever had. Not by being a part of the creation but to being a part
of it's sustainability, a true honor. They were in
a transition from their old building which is a
big part of York's history in it's contribution to
the Defense of this Nation to a new building
with everything under one roof. I Crated in
both buildings, strapping the bikes to metal skids for stability during transport in a tractor
trailer. They moved me to Tank and Fender in
the new building, so I go from being trusted
to make sure the bikes get to their destination
without falling over to being able to put my
name on a couple hundred individual Harleys.
I'm fixing nicks and runs in the clear coat on
gas tanks and fenders, in so doing you get assigned a number that you print out onto
stickers and every part you fix you put your 
number sticker on the underside, your name
on it!  What's more American than baseball and
apple pie, Harley Davidson! The Tank & Fender
Boss told me I did good work and Crating we
increased how many bikes we got out, the high count day of the week was higher than the week before, I couldn't of been more proud . Met a lot of good people there.
    

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.

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".

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 20 salaries reported	$66,325 per year
Fitness specialist 6 salaries reported	$55,000 per year
Technician 3 salaries reported	$34.00 per hour
Retail sales associate 4 salaries reported	$15.23 per hour
Sales 5 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour

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