What's the company culture at Ecolab?

Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Ecolab?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Ecolab?

Does anyone know how it is like to work here? How is the Co culture? and the people? How is the pay? PLEASE somebody, anyone let me know

THANKS

Robert in Staten Island, New York said: Does anyone know how it is like to work here? How is the Co culture? and the people? How is the pay? PLEASE somebody, anyone let me know

THANKS

3rd shift working, on call 18 hours a day, weekend on call every 5-6 weeks, pay on commision

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Ecolab?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Ecolab?

Company uniforms, very little get togethers in 1 year I worked there. On call 18 hours a day

The culture depends on where you work. Some jobs require a uniform, others do not. It's business casual in the corporate offices. Some jobs involve shift work and occasional weekends, others are standard 9 AM - 5 PM. It depends on the division you're in and the size of your territory (if you're in the field.) The same goes for get-togethers and happy hour. Things like that vary from team to team, location to location. I've worked for Ecolab almost 2 years and LOVE it here.

When you work in the service department, you work 3rd shift, on call almost 18 hours a day.Correct, if you work in the office, you probably work 9-5. I worked for a year and had poor training and a I don't care attitude from management. But as Sandy indicates, this can be different from location and job

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Ecolab?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Ecolab?

Depends on where you are. At the corp office, no generally people leave when they are done with work and just go home. Here at the Kay division in Greensboro, NC they newbee's do the happy hour thing, but that's about it.

Dress is professional. Nice slacks and a button up shirt. Most don't wear ties.

Sandy in Saint Paul, Minnesota said: The culture depends on where you work. Some jobs require a uniform, others do not. It's business casual in the corporate offices. Some jobs involve shift work and occasional weekends, others are standard 9 AM - 5 PM. It depends on the division you're in and the size of your territory (if you're in the field.) The same goes for get-togethers and happy hour. Things like that vary from team to team, location to location. I've worked for Ecolab almost 2 years and LOVE it here.

You love it beacuse you are in the corporate offices. All of you technical support people just sit in your office reading spec sheets and MSDS.

Your friends,
JNSDVRSY

So true, if anyone from corporate office had to work in the field for 1 week, 3rd shift and be on call 18 hours a day in the heat and grime, they would quit in a minute.

Agree. On call 24/7 every 5th week. Crazy. Ecolab does not seem to concern Route Manager or Territory Salesmen's well being.

newbee said: Agree. On call 24/7 every 5th week. Crazy. Ecolab does not seem to concern Route Manager or Territory Salesmen's well being.

I am with Ecolab for 13 years and counting. Work in the field and love it. I start from my home at 7:30 am and I am at home by 5:30 - 6 pm (depending on traffic) - 5 days a week. Since I know what I do (thanks to the training I received), I seldom get after hours calls. I usually get 1-2 calls on the weekends, every 6 weeks or so - not a big deal. You either cut it or not with this Company. Training is on-going (field, internet, classroom) and is first class. They give you all the tools and support to suceed. It is up to you to fail.

Compensation is based on salary & commissions. Granted, $750 per year in add-on to the salary does not go far & will likely be revised some day. People who put extra effort into it (sell new offerings to existing customers & open new accounts - mostly from from supplied leads) make in excess of six figure income every year due to generous year end bonus structure.

Are all of the people happy? Of course not. As in every place, you get an occassional jerk for a boss. I had two in last three years. The first one was fired a year ago (due to treatment he dished out to subordinates) and another is on his last string. Does Company care? Yes, but the "justice" is dished out slowly. Sometimes in life we feel that it is too slow but, in retrospect, the Company gives the same chance to everyone. Even Sr. VPs have been terminated for screwing up people who reported to them. Yes, it took time but the justice was done.

Is it all roses? No but you will get out of it as much as you put into it. The choice is yours.

As this person states, works from 7:30- 5:00, not the 3rd shift hours techs work and on call 18 hours

Greg in Las Vegas, Nevada said: As this person states, works from 7:30- 5:00, not the 3rd shift hours techs work and on call 18 hours

There is NO 3rd shift for Techs. Also, there are NO 18 hours days for anyone. Whomever wrote this hogwash has no idea of what he is talking about.

Techs for kitchen repair equipment business work 8 hours & get paid time and a half for everything over 44 hours. They may CHOOSE to be on-call, if situation warrants this (i.e. vacations, entry into new marketplace, etc) but Filed Service Managers that oversee them, have a very tight labor business & with Techs working 18 hours shifts it would get depleted very quickly. Why I know this? I worked for three years in that Division & still keep in close contact with people there.

Please, do not believe in BS that some angry soul wrote. Check the facts & use your own judgment to come to conclussions about the Company & working environment. It is very easy to misjudge something if all we look for are negatives.

As noted earlier, this is for the pest control tech. You are on call 18 hours a day. I am not talking about the repair position

Greg in Las Vegas, Nevada said: As noted earlier, this is for the pest control tech. You are on call 18 hours a day. I am not talking about the repair position

Same goes for Pest Elimination Division. True, some techs work once restaurants close & finish in the morning. However, there are others who serve hotels, office buildings, ect. & they work NORMAL HOURS. In addition, during the day, Service Manager (for the Techs who worked during the night) takes the calls. Tech goes back to to correct mistakes that he made during the NEXT SHIFT.

Lets do not exagerate BS here.

Thanks.

Im glad I came across this forum. Im currently going through the hiring process with this company and I always do as much research as I can. I hope I can trust Stans input he seems like hes honest and really knows what hes talking about. Ive been on the job search for quite a while now and I know there are ALOT of scams out there. I have 15 years exp in sales and Im not about to get involved with a bad company just for a quick buck.I have a VERY impressive resume and Im not going to be involved with a company that mistreats its sales staff.
Ecolab has thier own credit union. Thats impressive. In my search Ive come across alot of what I thought were good reputable companies that need sales staff. Alot of these are 100% commission jobs. This trend in sales has got to stop. Ive researched "opportunites" with these companies and more often than not they have a very bad consumer repore. Thats because the salesman before only wanted to close the deal and nothing else. There is no culpability or responsibilty. You cant much blame the salesman, hes just a working stiff trying to make a living. Its the structure. I dont care how good at sales you might think you are, you cant build a future on a company with a bad reputation and no intent on changing its structure.I understand the thinking that you dont want your salesman lazing around and not sell, but isnt that an interveiw and performance issue? At 100% commision, you may as well run your own company and
The fact that Ecolab provides a base salary, training and a company vehicle are enough for me to know that this company is willing to invest in its sales staff and support a reasonable accommodation. Take it from me, theres not alot of companies that do that. As for those reading this who are in the same position as far as researching this company, you can continue researching but Ive done alot. Im going to take Stans word for it and accept an offer if its made. Thank you Stan for your insight.

Rooster, I wish you luck. I just received a offer for employment in St Louis, Mo for a Route Manager in Training position. After doing tons of research I dtermined that this is a wonderful job with lots of potential to grow. The management staff here seems to be great and I am looking forward to starting my career here. I will be in the June 1st training class and I am very excited.

Hi, you will see what I is true, if you are a Pest Control Tech, you will work 3rd shift, when your shift is done, you will be able to sleep until 12:00, after that, if any clients call in the day,you will have to go, good luck

Actually I won't be on the pest control side, but I do appreciate all of your input. I am coming from Cintas, so Ecolab is light years ahead of Cintas.

reynolk in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Actually I won't be on the pest control side, but I do appreciate all of your input. I am coming from Cintas, so Ecolab is light years ahead of Cintas.

What will you be doing? Since when does Ecolab provide linen service?

I have read that it seems that too much attention here and some other company's are things like "Happy Hour" Whoppie....U are here to work and take care of things, not spend time wondering when you and co-workers are going out for the next drink.

People choose the line of work they wish to do. If you are on call and complain about it then it is your fault for chosing this profession. The company is still in business because of their success. If you want a little do nothing job with little to no responsibility I am sure that your fast food places would be willing to hire you for just a few hours...

Sounds like an excellent company with many long term rewards.

I have been with EcoLab for 5 months now and I love it. My boss bend's over backwards to help me out when I need it. My best friend started working for ecolab frist and he was promoted from RM to TM and they didn't have anyone to replace him lined up and he told them about me. He has been with the company for a little over a year and he showed me his last pay stub and it was dang near 100k a year.

Speaking with one of the managers who told me that he took the job 25 years ago to get some sales experience in order to leave and work at a pharmaceutical company. He said that after working for two years at Ecolab he decided that he'd never make the kind of money at a pharma company as he made at Ecolab. I Can't wait to start.

I currently Work for Ecolab or at least until the end of this month. There is alot of potential at Ecolab if you are willing to put in the amount of time (secondary to being in the field)that it takes to to accomplish Ecolabs needs .I also have been employed by Ecolab for about 6.5 years now.If you deal well with the stress of sales pushes, customer complaints ,and suppervisors who's success rides on your back. And if you are willing to be in the field about twelve hours a day to get the 6 to 10% commisions you get on sales,also spend copius amounts of YOUR TIME after work doing plans and orders, reading e-mails possibly catching trouble calls This job might be right for you!
In all Fairness I did increase my pay (commission only) by 31,000 dollars in these 6.5 years with the company.With that I also hve been stressed out to the point of yelling at my wife and kids,Ive had up to 12 trouble calls in one day(of witch you don't get any other pay for).Its your job to try and sell things to these people while at these trouble calls.This is how you increase your income.But trust me you will be burned out on this in about 2 years if not sooner.

dish doctor do you know a big exfootball player that works for ecolab in your state? I think it name was chris brown.

Stan in Dallas, Texas said: I am with Ecolab for 13 years and counting. Work in the field and love it. I start from my home at 7:30 am and I am at home by 5:30 - 6 pm (depending on traffic) - 5 days a week. Since I know what I do (thanks to the training I received), I seldom get after hours calls. I usually get 1-2 calls on the weekends, every 6 weeks or so - not a big deal. You either cut it or not with this Company. Training is on-going (field, internet, classroom) and is first class. They give you all the tools and support to suceed. It is up to you to fail.

Compensation is based on salary & commissions. Granted, $750 per year in add-on to the salary does not go far & will likely be revised some day. People who put extra effort into it (sell new offerings to existing customers & open new accounts - mostly from from supplied leads) make in excess of six figure income every year due to generous year end bonus structure.

Are all of the people happy? Of course not. As in every place, you get an occassional jerk for a boss. I had two in last three years. The first one was fired a year ago (due to treatment he dished out to subordinates) and another is on his last string. Does Company care? Yes, but the "justice" is dished out slowly. Sometimes in life we feel that it is too slow but, in retrospect, the Company gives the same chance to everyone. Even Sr. VPs have been terminated for screwing up people who reported to them. Yes, it took time but the justice was done.

Is it all roses? No but you will get out of it as much as you put into it. The choice is yours.

hey stan do you still work for ecolab. Are you a rm or tm? I run the lafayette north route I was under mike singletary but he just moved to houston to be RS there.

EcoLab Pays my bills in Shreveport, Louisiana said: dish doctor do you know a big exfootball player that works for ecolab in your state? I think it name was chris brown.

I know a fellow that played ball for USC named Dan

reynolk in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Rooster, I wish you luck. I just received a offer for employment in St Louis, Mo for a Route Manager in Training position. After doing tons of research I dtermined that this is a wonderful job with lots of potential to grow. The management staff here seems to be great and I am looking forward to starting my career here. I will be in the June 1st training class and I am very excited.

Reynolk in saint louis, how is the job now after a few months, I am interviewing for a route managers position and would like your input. thanks in advance.

The Rooster in El Paso, Texas said: Im glad I came across this forum. Im currently going through the hiring process with this company and I always do as much research as I can. I hope I can trust Stans input he seems like hes honest and really knows what hes talking about. Ive been on the job search for quite a while now and I know there are ALOT of scams out there. I have 15 years exp in sales and Im not about to get involved with a bad company just for a quick buck.I have a VERY impressive resume and Im not going to be involved with a company that mistreats its sales staff.
Ecolab has thier own credit union. Thats impressive. In my search Ive come across alot of what I thought were good reputable companies that need sales staff. Alot of these are 100% commission jobs. This trend in sales has got to stop. Ive researched "opportunites" with these companies and more often than not they have a very bad consumer repore. Thats because the salesman before only wanted to close the deal and nothing else. There is no culpability or responsibilty. You cant much blame the salesman, hes just a working stiff trying to make a living. Its the structure. I dont care how good at sales you might think you are, you cant build a future on a company with a bad reputation and no intent on changing its structure.I understand the thinking that you dont want your salesman lazing around and not sell, but isnt that an interveiw and performance issue? At 100% commision, you may as well run your own company and
The fact that Ecolab provides a base salary, training and a company vehicle are enough for me to know that this company is willing to invest in its sales staff and support a reasonable accommodation. Take it from me, theres not alot of companies that do that. As for those reading this who are in the same position as far as researching this company, you can continue researching but Ive done alot. Im going to take Stans word for it and accept an offer if its made. Thank you Sta

Please let me know how it has gone with Eco Labs. I have been interviewed twice and would like to be in the sept training class. Sounds like a great opportunity

There is a 3rd shift for Pest Elimination and you do need to start answering calls after 1 pm but if you take care of your customers they will take care of you. Very good company to work for and I make very good money for the job I do. The training I received was comprehesive and allows you to be successful if you just put in the time. It is a service job so you do have to deal with that aspect of it.

Ecolab is a great company to work for, but there is a huge learning curve, the training is adequate, the pay is good, and if you work hard and make budget every year you will be sucessful. The Institutional division is different from Pest Elimination, but we all pretty much work together (as far as referrals go)

I worked at delivering Ecolab products in Vancouver. Carmichael Transport in Port Coquitlam has their contract. Well they did not pay me. They keep making up excuses. They don't tell you how much you make per delivery. Lots of guys quit because they tell you your checks are going to be a lot more then they are. Ecolab should look into another delivery company because Carmichael Transport in Port Coquitlam are suspect at best.

Worked research 10 years ago - my old boss was extremely positive about my work, then I was suddenly and brutally "fired" after they hired a ruthless witch to run the place. The work was cool, but the culture was awful - husband and wife ran the dept. sucking up to a deadwood relic who sat around and did nothing. People kept ribbing each other in a bad way, management was aloof and arrogant. The younger workers were out of control and were allowed to be snotty and unruly. Everyone told me to introduce myself to Al Schuman, but when I did he was complete a**hole! He treated everyone like a grunt salesman. The company Lawyer even boasted to the entire company about how they lobby the state to shut out competitors - that's disgusting. Well that was along time ago, and the building I work in has been demolished but Ecolab had one of the worst cultures I have ever experienced. I hope things have changed and that others have had better experiences. As it is, I would rather hold onto the stock and let others bear the weight of working there.

Oh yea, the pay was really lousy too.

aredant in Saint Paul, Minnesota said:

Ecolab is a good company to start with. If you need a resume builder, it will work for you. My advise is to plan to leave eventually, especially if there isn't any room to grow.

The guy who said that he would leave at 730 and return home at 5 or 6 and work only a few times every 6 weeks on the weekend doesn't really have a major territory. I made 35k after 4.5 years as a RM, and they were hiring new RM's at 36k. You have to be political to ever consider getting an advancement. If you kiss your superiors butt all the time and never tell him anything but great news and make 100% you will get considered.

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Ecolab?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Ecolab?

I have been a territory manager in institutional now for five years. We are expected to wear business dress every day- so be prepared to ruin some nice clothes. I recently underwent surgery that ran into complications and was out for three weeks. Human resources lost the paperwork my doctor sent to them twice, which resulted in a huge discrepancy in my pay. Human resources did not even return my calls- I had to chase them down. I was told to be careful by my doctor when I went back to work. My first week back I was forced to put in 60+ hours in order to take care of all the work that had stacked up. That is not counting the deluge of e-mail and surveys and reports that are to be done after you get home on your own time. The second week back I put in 70 hours while covering for another TM that was on vacation and installing equipment at a large account until nearly midnight. During the whole recovery and my first week back to work I think my manager may have contacted me twice by e-mail, and that was because he needed information from me. ECOLAB is heading in a direction that is not good. Employees are now just numbers, and if you stumble for some reason it is nearly impossible to get back on track because of the immense workload right now. It also is difficult to sell new business right now because the products are over priced.

dish doctor in South Carolina said: I currently Work for Ecolab or at least until the end of this month. There is alot of potential at Ecolab if you are willing to put in the amount of time (secondary to being in the field)that it takes to to accomplish Ecolabs needs .I also have been employed by Ecolab for about 6.5 years now.If you deal well with the stress of sales pushes, customer complaints ,and suppervisors who's success rides on your back. And if you are willing to be in the field about twelve hours a day to get the 6 to 10% commisions you get on sales,also spend copius amounts of YOUR TIME after work doing plans and orders, reading e-mails possibly catching trouble calls This job might be right for you!
In all Fairness I did increase my pay (commission only) by 31,000 dollars in these 6.5 years with the company.With that I also hve been stressed out to the point of yelling at my wife and kids,Ive had up to 12 trouble calls in one day(of witch you don't get any other pay for).Its your job to try and sell things to these people while at these trouble calls.This is how you increase your income.But trust me you will be burned out on this in about 2 years if not sooner.

Why did you leave?

closer01 in Charleston, South Carolina said: Why did you leave?

I can't speak for anyone else,but Ecolab was the worse job that I ever had. There was no accountability by management, and all of the blame was passed on to the lower tiered employees. When I first started I was excited about the job and all that it had to offer, that lasted until about a month after I came back from St Paul. My manager had me on an install until 5:00 in the morning, and then he made me cover someones route the next morning. Not to mention being a new employee at the time, having weekend coverage and not having proper parts on my van, and none of my coworkers answering their phones to give me hand.

My breaking point came when a customer called complaining about their dishmachine not sanitizing, and my manager would not allow me to order a thermostat. I had to buy the customer bleach out of my own pocket, that was never returned to me. Ecolab is a terrible company that does not give a crap about their employees.

How long have you worked for Ecolab? I can't argue with you about how you feel, but in the district I worked for, "992" 7 out of 13 guys left in calender year 2007. I know/knew ALOT of guys who who were both TM's and RM's throughout the USA during my tenure, your situation is very rare. Consider yourself extremely lucky, the majority of the rest of us didn't see the light.

the only mistake I had about leaving was that I didn't do it earlier.

OK...so how much are you making? One million mark for an established business is nothing! Are those egotistical poorly educated Ecolab managers sharing thei bonus with you?

Stan in Dallas, Texas said: I am with Ecolab for 13 years and counting. Work in the field and love it. I start from my home at 7:30 am and I am at home by 5:30 - 6 pm (depending on traffic) - 5 days a week. Since I know what I do (thanks to the training I received), I seldom get after hours calls. I usually get 1-2 calls on the weekends, every 6 weeks or so - not a big deal. You either cut it or not with this Company. Training is on-going (field, internet, classroom) and is first class. They give you all the tools and support to suceed. It is up to you to fail.

Compensation is based on salary & commissions. Granted, $750 per year in add-on to the salary does not go far & will likely be revised some day. People who put extra effort into it (sell new offerings to existing customers & open new accounts - mostly from from supplied leads) make in excess of six figure income every year due to generous year end bonus structure.

Are all of the people happy? Of course not. As in every place, you get an occassional jerk for a boss. I had two in last three years. The first one was fired a year ago (due to treatment he dished out to subordinates) and another is on his last string. Does Company care? Yes, but the "justice" is dished out slowly. Sometimes in life we feel that it is too slow but, in retrospect, the Company gives the same chance to everyone. Even Sr. VPs have been terminated for screwing up people who reported to them. Yes, it took time but the justice was done.

Is it all roses? No but you will get out of it as much as you put into it. The choice is yours.

Stan, I will have to say you are the lucky one. Ecolab is a terrible company. They provide little or no base pay after making you buy a territory, the take money out of your check for returns you have no control over from customers calling them in to save on their p/L, and the have ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING AT ALL. You are expected to be a master plumber and electrician.

.

Stan you are wrong on some of your post. Ok its not 18 hrs on call but 17 hrs. Your are right that if you do your job you do get less call back but you will always get call backs more in the summer you will make more in the summer because of the increase sales. there is no weekend covrage in my area so you are on 7 days a week you do get two week vacation although that is joke. you have to do all your work before hand or after to take a week off so did you really get a vacation or a break from call backs. I do like Ecolab and have been there for 3 years. In the summer you will work at least 2 weekends a month depending on your route and type of stops. there are plenty of splits shift that you will work also. just today i work 6 am to 12 pm then I will return to work tonight 11pm to 3am. I know someone will say they can not make you do that but you work on commision and if you want money you will. Is this typical Yes at least for 12 people that i work with. They do pay is ok but you have to be aggresive or you will not make it. If you are lazy and not a self starter you will not like the job. You do get alot of freedom with the job that is both a bad thing and a good thing. Ecolab is a good company to work for but they need to adjust the outlook on some things. Vacation and balance of personal life and work they are behind most companies on, most pest will agree we are overworked but make good money for what we do

I have been trying to start a career with Ecolab now for over a year, I have taken the test, had a phone interview and even had a call back from a manager for a face to face interview but then all communications stopped. I understand that things may have changed with the economy but I have continued to apply with no response. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get noticed? Everyone I speak to says to apply via the web and have patients. How can I have patients when I know there is a job open that I am perfect for?

Corlin Franzmeier in Rosemount, Minnesota said: I have been trying to start a career with Ecolab now for over a year, I have taken the test, had a phone interview and even had a call back from a manager for a face to face interview but then all communications stopped. I understand that things may have changed with the economy but I have continued to apply with no response. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get noticed? Everyone I speak to says to apply via the web and have patients. How can I have patients when I know there is a job open that I am perfect for?

Corlin, have you tried reaching out to the manager who you had the interview with? If I were you I would stay persistent by keeping in touch with them letting them know how bad you want the job.

It sounds to me that you were not selected.

Ecolab is a spent company that is sustaining itself with old business. Try applying with Steritch "a growing company."

It sounds to me that you were not selected.

Ecolab is a spent company that is sustaining itself with old business. Try applying with Steritech "a growing company."

I would like some feed back on those doing the dynamic routing .what do you think about it

8 yr. Ecolab pest vet in Indianapolis, Indiana said: I would like some feed back on those doing the dynamic routing .what do you think about it

they have been talking about it alot in my area. We had a big meeting and got things somewhat lined out then that all. It's like they just stop working on it. I think it just depends if your area is a metro area or not. My region is very spread out and that cause alot of problems for routeing and people making money. Has your area already made the change? If so what do you think ?