Pros
Lots of 'free' food and enjoyable parties.
Cons
Performance and bonus based on uncontrollable circumstances: I understand bonuses are based on how profitable the projects you worked on were for that quarter. However, many people have no control over the projects they are assigned. Some people are overwhelmed with too many projects, and others are looking-nay BEGGING for work. Every day. For MONTHS and then receive less than average/satisfactory performance reviews. As part of the drafting team, you are expected to know architecture intern level information and apply it to the project with no education and no direction, no matter how many times you ask for help. The project managers are only helpful if you get a good one, but then they're so busy with being overloaded on projects that they don't have time to help much-but at least they get the projects done(often times without the help of a drafter because it's easier to do it themselves than the explain things). Some project managers get so into themselves that they let project decisions and work fall to those unqualified to make the decisions, and the deadlines slip, and when it comes time to question why, the PM throws the other people on the project under the bus to the client. Even if it is their fault, that's unprofessional AF-particularly since the PM should be making sure the work doesn't fall behind. And then this, again, goes onto a negative performance review.
Performance reviews. Are. Awful. You have to train with an overly happy guy who probably gets paid way too much to say the same thing 14 different ways in order we to make sure you 'evaluate' yourself in an efficient manner. Rate myself on my performance and knowledge based on the last year? Who ACTUALLY tells their boss on these forms that they underperformed? That their goals are to get more work done but can't because it's all gatekept by certain project managers? The whole thing is just ridiculous. If I thought I could do better, I would've.
The PTO policy is nonsense. You don't get designated sick days, just extra PTO days. Well guess who never gets a vacation? Parents. PTO gets eaten up by having to call out for sick kids or school closures. Having designated sick days makes people feel like they don't have to hoard their PTO for an inevitable need due to kids.
The Denver office seems like the place where people get the best working experience. But if you're in any of the other offices, the biggest plus side is that the CEO isn't going to be walking around all the time. The other offices really suffer. There's limited communication between the offices, even when they are working on the same project together.
Pay: less competitive unless you're in the Denver office. Literally was told that my pay was the same as the Denver office when they had a job listing for 20k more than my salary. When I asked my branch manager, he said it was due to cost of living differences, but cost of living is higher where I am (I checked.) the compensation package is also deceiving. It calculates things in a way to make you think you're earning more than you actually are. And there are some 'perks' that are a $ value into that annual 'compensation' number that go into an account that you can only use for certain types of items-you are taxed at the end of the year for the amount of it you used (they add this amount to your paycheck and then tax the entire check at a higher %. (My first year working there we were not told this and my final paycheck of the year was 1400 less than I was expecting as a result of this.) Oh, and you can't opt out of this program and just get the money added to your check each month instead. It has to go to this 'thrive' scam. So, im sorry, but this should NOT be considered income and increase my 'annual income' amount. The amount the company pays for their portion of the health insurance premiums also counts forward that 'youll be getting paid 69,000 per year' number, even though you don't see that money. How is it considered income if it's never seen? Company pays it to the insurance brokers. There are lots of other little things like this that I actually googled to see if they're legal because they just seemed so dishonest. If someone said they would hire me at 25/hr but they would deduct apx 4/he to cover their cost of my insurance premiums I would not accept that position. So the compensation package is just sneaky and worded very pretty like but you actually get less than it shows.
Company seems to be bleeding the good people. After I left, at least 5 others I knew left as well.
I was brought into their 'mentorship' program and was looking forward to switching gears and getting into my desired field of work, but every time I asked about it I felt belittled and dismissed as unimportant. Once, I asked for a trial task and was told someone else would have to find something for me to work on. I was passed along to someone else. My personal experience with this particular work flow goes on 15 years of experience outside of the workforce, but no degree for it.
Company seems to not know what to focus on and is going in too many directions trying to revolutionize the way architecture firms work in the current society. By adding companies with different disciplinaries to all 'work together' for a full package and easy experience for the customer. It nobody communicates with each other and it ends up really hurting projects. They are so focused on trying to make it work that they just keep burying the issues under new acquisitions and staff, rather than fixing the process and everything that's not working first before bringing more people and companies on board.
Many people don't know what the heck their job is supposed to be. Expectations are not clear, even when asked. You will be directed to your job sheet and there are 6 different contradicting things within it.
They keep spiraling money down the drain at rebuilding company use only websites for the employees to engage and connect with one another, like their own personal Facebook, but it just doesn't work. They incentivise people by building new little 'kudos' shout outs posted on the front page of the message board but it's just a giant sucking up contest. If you're a hard worker, not not besties with one of the managers who can give out these stars, you won't get recognition.
It often felt like there was a new small company being acquired every few months. Seemed like it usually followed an announcement about how we needed to increase our work so we would be in the financial positive for the year. Like they were buying successful companies to hide that they're bleeding money. (Personal opinion)
I could probably go on for another hour or so but I'll leave it here.
