Employee Morale is Low - Senior Engineer CDM Smith Employee Review

1.0
15 Feb 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A good place to get some initial engineering experience, but don't plan on staying long.

Cons

The Project Management career path is non-existent. They have it all on paper, but don't practice what they preach. Morale is really low among staff, and there have been a loss of good personnel now that the employment opportunities for engineers are better. The firm has been floundering ever since Tim Wall has taken over, with no direction and the Wilbur Smith buyout was the biggest mistake that has cost the company millions$$$ and valued staff. Instead of trying to retain senior staff that brought the company to it's greatness in the 2000's, most have left or were let go due to utilization pressure. Randy Rogers, the COO of the North American Unit has probably contributed to the loss of many valued employees, as no one wants to work with him. This is definitely not a company I would plan to spend a career at. If you are new engineer and looking for a job, I would recommend other firms. There really is no exciting opportunities with this firm. They are just a commodity provider in the engineering world, not a leader.

Explore other reviews about CDM Smith

5.0
22 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of training and opportunities

Cons

Company structure can be confusing

1
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CDM Smith Response
2w
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review! It was great to have you as an employee and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
2.0
18 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible hybrid schedule is very nice and starting salary is high for early career engineers.

Cons

The main people running the company are not engineers and you can tell. They are all focused on utilization with rates often set at 97% or higher. This had led to my supervisor asking/telling me to not charge company required trainings. As an early engineer it really feels like they don't want to invest in me and only care about their bottom line. If you are an early career structural engineer you will also not get any meaningful work until you've been with the company for at least 5 years. The senior engineers do not trust you and will only give you grunt work.

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