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Geospatial - Anonymous employee Atkins Employee Review

2.0
Aug 15, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Variety of projects (also see cons), nice people to work with who appreciate your contribution and going the extra mile. - Some of the benefits are quite good - but often matched at the same level as other consultancies: buy/sell extra holidays, BUPA, gym membership, etc. - Not sure the recent merge with SNC-Lavalin will change anything.

Cons

- Too much red tape, senior management seems to be detached from the rest of the company. - London office amenities are terrible - often crowded, nowhere to sit. Useless hot-desk system as regulars tend to frequent the same spot every day. Heating/cooling is sub-par, we had 2 weeks without heating in one wing during the worst of the winter in 2016... - Focus on billable hours/productivity - but I guess it's the same at other consultancies too. - The variety of work mostly applies to graduates who are 'cheap' in regards of billable time. Seniors can chug on with whatever they get assigned on. - Very poor staff retention. In my last half year with the company, at least half of the senior/principal consultants I worked with from other disciplines have left Atkins. Speaks volumes. - Team leaders are mainly appointed based on seniority and not experience, therefore interaction/reliability on your line manager can be poor. - Internal 'competition' with other departments for work. No team strategy for technical or other improvements.

Explore other reviews about Atkins

5.0
Oct 13, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of work to be done Many opportunities to try different things

Cons

Advancement can be hard Working alongside underperformers

2.0
Nov 17, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Job and a paycheck but in a house of cards.

Cons

Wow, be careful! Atkins North America was acquired when Atkins in London bought a notorious US engineering based in Florida, PBS&J (Post, Buckley, Shuh and Jernigan). I didn't do enough research when hired and found out too late I was working for a company that has been prosecuted multiple times for serious illegalities, and some of the executives who participated but escaped prosecution are still there! PBS&J has been indicted for bribing government officials, illegal campaign contributions, and was a private company put on the chopping blocks to sell for being so poorly managed when several of the employees embezzled millions upon millions of dollars. As recent as 2016 the company was struggling financially because of legal costs and fines to the extent the focus became finishing out existing contracts rather than procuring new ones...an indicator they do not want new business and are likely to chop off the US engineering wing and spin those employees out to another company. Do your research before accepting a job there, the good old boy network that didn't previously get caught or prosecuted in the illegalities is still working there, and they haven't changed much in being secretive about what they are doing!! Get everything in writing as they are all about the bait and switch.

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