General Motors (GM)is a United States vehicle manufacturer based in Detroit, Michigan, known for brands such as Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. William “Billy” Durant founded GM on September 16, 1908; he was already a successful manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles (“Company: History”). GM’s mission statement is, “G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment” (“Mission Statements”).
The company currently offers a variety of career opportunities around the globe. According to GM, employment with the company includes “a variety of medical plans, investment options, life insurance and disability investments, as well as paid holidays and vacation time” in addition to discounts on GM vehicles (“General Motors Careers”). The first thing prospective job applicants see when viewing GM’s Careers home page is information on how to get the GM Careers News App for smart phones as well as a map that allows available careers all over the world to be explored. After clicking on the North American map, a drop down menu shows menu shows a variety of different options for careers in categories such as engineering, human resources, administration, creative design, sales & marketing, finance, manufacturing, purchasing, information technology, and onstar (“General Motors Careers”).
An example of some of the jobs in the creative design section include digital sculptor, color and trim design manager, and advanced interior designers (“General Motors Careers”). Many engineering jobs are available, including positions such as seat belt design release engineer, climactic wind tunnel test engineer, and product safety (“General Motors Careers”). Sales & marketing jobs include positions such as team leader for social media, dealership sales consultants, and northeast region district manager (“General Motors Careers”). Information technology includes positions such as Java developers, senior management for database innovation teams, IT project managers for infrastructure deployment, and senior software developers (“General Motors Careers”). Human resources jobs include positions for registered nurses, learning developer and integrator, HR specialists for health care plans, and safety internships (“General Motors Careers”). The locations for these jobs are in places such as Lansing, MI, Detroit, MI, Warren, MI, Los Angeles, CA, Pontiac, MI, and other places (“General Motors Careers”). It appears that GM has a variety of kinds of jobs so that a great variety of differently trained and educated people could work for this company.
A look at GM’s website would convince many people that it is an ideal place to work. Besides the benefits mentioned on the first page about careers, further exploration into the site shows programs like GM Tech Education. The website informs readers “Individuals in engineering or manufacturing fields can earn accredited graduate degrees and certificates. GM covers all program tuition, registration fees, admission costs and reference books” (“General Motors Careers”). Not every employer today is willing or able to fund further education for its employees, so this is a positive aspect of the company. A prospective employee who sees that GM is offering education opportunities believes the company will not want to spend this money on education if it does not mean to retain the employees it offers this to. This investment in employees speaks to a commitment the company has in its workers as well as possible job security, an important factor in today’s job market. Another website, Glassceiling, offers reviews and statistics about employment at GM. Out of five possible stars, GM earns a 3.2 star rating as an employer, which translates to the statistic that “54% of employees recommend this company to a friend” (“General Motors Overview”). One employee reviewer of GM discussed the pros and cons of working for the company. On the positive side, this reviewer said that GM offers “good pay relative to the position,” a “great vacation package” with new employees getting three weeks off plus a week at Christmas from the start, and “good benefits” including cheap health care, 4% 401k matching, and profit-sharing (“General Motors Employee”). On the negative side, this employee said that “If you have a brain, some of the inefficiencies will drive you crazy” and that “promotions can be based on friendships/relationships more than merit and ability” (“General Motors Employee”). Overall, it seems like working at GM has more positive aspects than negative aspects and would be a good place to be employed.
Although GM has an investors section on its web site, it was impossible to find a complete Quarterly Earnings Report. Summaries, highlights, earnings releases, webcasts, and chart sets are available for the four quarters of the past several years. Profit was listed in the
“Financial Highlights” section as “Net Revenue.” A trend for vehicle sales show that the second quarter tends to be stronger than the third quarter, which may be because of people desiring to get deals on new models or to get the next year’s model if it is out yet. The Earnings Per Share (EPS) shows a downward trend, while the profits show a steady tend of positive revenue. Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson says the third quarter of 2012, “GM had a solid quarter because customers around the world love our new vehicles and we’re also seeing green shoots take hold on tough issues like complexity reduction, pensions and Europe” (“Investors”). Basically, he is saying that the financial trends reflect bad economic conditions around the globe and company restructuring that is, nevertheless, keeping GM’s profits steady.
GM is a company that is on the rebound after a decade of decline. From 2000 through 2009, GM’s vehicle sales were in decline with 2009 showing a downward change of 30.01%; since 2010 the company has had positive changes in vehicle sales, showing a 13.7% increase in 2011 (“General Motors”). According to third quarter report for 2012, GM intends to introduce “23 new models and 13 new engines by 2016” (“Investors”). Along with steady profits and increasing vehicle sales, it appears that GM is a company that is growing.
New products are essential to a company that wants to grow, and GM has plans for new products and innovations in the future. As the third quarter mentions, new vehicle models and new engines are a big part of this future. The company web page shows several new models which will be released in 2014 including the Cadillac ELR that will have an electric propulsion system, a redesigned Chevrolet Silverado with the new EcoTec3 engine, and the Spark EV which is an emissions-free electric car (“Future Vehicles”). The new Spark EV looks especially intriguing. Compared to the Ford Focus Electric vehicle, which is priced starting at $39,200 after tax credits, and the Nissan Leaf electric car, which is priced starting at $27,700 after tax credits, the Spark EV will be a money saver for consumers (“Ford,” “Nissan”). The Spark EV will reportedly sell for a starting price under $25,000 after tax credits (Edelstein). Although it is smaller than its Ford and Nissan counterparts, its lower price will appeal to cost conscious consumers and its quick charging times will appeal to people’s need for efficiency. This is a car that is a great choice for consumers who do little driving, want to save on gasoline, or want a second car for around town. It is also a great choice because its lack of emissions are positive for the environment.
GM appears to be a company that has weathered the automobile industry crisis in the United States and recessions over the globe in the past decade with success. It appears to be a reasonable place to work for as well as a growing company for investors. Its future products appear to take account of things consumers are looking for today in vehicles, including fuel economy, electric vehicles, safety, and eco-friendly parts. The company has come back from the brink of disaster to form itself into an American company that the country can be proud of.
Works Cited
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Edelstein, Stephen. 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV unveiled, will cost less than $25,000 with tax credits. Digital Trends, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. < http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2014-chevrolet-spark-ev-unveiled/>
Ford Focus Electric. Ford, n.d. Web. Accessed 2 Feb. 2013. < http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/trim/electric/>
Future Vehicles. General Motors, n.d. Web. Accessed 2 Feb. 2013. < http://www.gm.com/vehicles/future_vehicles.html#/>
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General Motors Careers. General Motors, n.d. Web. Accessed 2 Feb 2013.
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