Turnover - Atkins has an incredibly high amount of turnover and it got even worse when the economy got a little better. Turnover was so high in California that they had to close a few offices because there was just no one left to work in the buildings they were leasing. The high turnover also made it difficult to deliver successful projects. Inevitably everything I was working on was a hand me down from some other project manager that quit and the budget/deliverables were all over the place. This lead to a "left holding the bag" situation where I was being put on notice by Atkins management and clients for either being over budget or not delivering products on time. By the time I left I was so battered by clients and internal Atkins management that I had mild PTSD. I apologize to anyone that took over the projects I left them. Trust me I know how you are feeling. Get out while you can!
Management - There were some great senior managers that were trying as hard as they could to "right the ship". The good ones didn't last long only because a person can only take so much beating down by clients and corporate management that they quit. This lead to some desperation hires and promotions of staff that were under qualified and unfit for that sort of job. Other regional managers were working in satellite offices halfway across the state/country and were just warm bodies. None of the regional directors I worked with were in anyway helpful to my struggles and clearly did not listen to my suggestions (or if they did they ultimately had no power in their job to act on these suggestions).
Administrative Duties - Sometimes I felt like Peter Gibbons from office space where I was getting called by 5 different people about the same thing. Usually about my budget forecasts. Forecasting was such a brutal monthly exercise, that depending on the number of projects you were managing, could take a full day to complete. Also why was the forecasting left to staff? Was this time billable? Not a chance.
Better Options - The economy is in a better situation and if you can get hired at Atkins, you can get hired somewhere better. Take the time to look elsewhere. I definitely took part in downplaying the issues with Atkins to potential job candidates just because we needed the help. Be wary of what you are being sold.
