Growing too fast - Ecologist MKO Employee Review

2.0
28 Sept 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

lots of fieldwork people are genuinely nice good social aspect- pub nights out, bbqs, boat trips and the like, no skimping on Christmas parties . company vans so you don't have to wreck yours Plenty parking

Cons

company taking on too many people too fast and can't support them not enough desks available kitchens always mobbed for lunch an no one cleans after their food very difficult to get a straight answer on procedures eg inputting timesheets and expenses answers change depending on who you ask from departments to sub teams to pods. No set standards, working nights and not knowing what time to put back -nitpicking on timesheets, filling it in in 10 minute increments to fill up a full working week massive turnover, everyone I talked to just started there or was looking for a new job. People leave every week desperate gossiping in the place about other people - project level staff shouldnt be saying private stuff about team members wages very low compared to other companies. Time in lieu is very scattered, sometimes you get it back sometimes you don't. There could be 6 people in the same pod all doing it different. Had to work extra hours but no compensation or appreciation. -company cars are nuts, people take them without booking so you'veno choice to use your own car on destroyed roads hard to get hold of managers to ask questions Hard to have a social life when your site work always changing last minute Place is turning into a machine,lost the culture,just turning a profit and staff are only cogs

Explore other reviews about MKO

2.0
25 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Gregarious, hard-working staff. I formed true friendships with my colleagues which facilitated an environment of excellent teamwork and a generally very positive working environment. - Vehicle Fleet. There was excellent availability of vehicles for site work. Now, they weren't anything flashy, but were certainly fit for trips to the bog, etc.

Cons

- Very poor pay. There are other consultancies in Galway that offer a considerably better package. Graduates, use MKO as a stepping stone to better opportunities. - Workload. With such a high turnover of staff, myself and other colleagues of mine frequently found ourselves working late hours. We would only ever be paid for the 37.5 hours, though. - Upper management. Self-righteous. - Upon leaving the company, I (along with several other colleagues) was strongly advised to not leave a negative review on Glassdoor or elsewhere online. Instead of threatening employees leaving for pastures greener, work on creating an environment which would inspire them to offer praise instead of criticism. I was told in no uncertain terms that if I left a negative review, "it would be very easy to figure out". Well, here we are.

5.0
17 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

•Young workforce - great place to work and make genuine friends, there is a strong collaborative culture on company projects and internal projects. •Strong company culture - people are put first in MKO, there is a major effort put in to organizing social events throughout the year, these are always great days out and management seem to enjoy putting these events on to thank staff for hard work. •Great progression opportunities - there is a strong grade level structure in place that works well for staff to determine where they are and where they want to go. There is also annual check ins with management to discuss personal career goals. •Management are approachable and flexible - every member of the senior management team and up to director level are genuinely lovely people and are all very approachable about any topic which makes staff feel valued and appreciated. •A vibrant large company with a small company approach.

Cons

•Salary is fair - there are market adjustments done annually. •More consistency for all departments - there is a lot of work done updating structures for technical teams but it is not the same approach for the operations team.

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