A Great place to grow - Electrical Apprentice Cummings Properties Employee Review

“We hire for nice.” That was one of the first phrases I heard during the hiring process with Cummings, and it has been affirmed time and again. The Company recognizes that people are its greatest asset and affirms this by making investments in its workforce (e.g., training, mentorship, advancement opportunity, compensation, other benefits). This has enabled the organization to stay entrepreneurial and to become a leader in commercial real estate and philanthropy. Something I have learned during my time with Cummings is that you get out what you put in. While uncommon in companies of this size, many roles are only one to two steps removed from executive leadership (including the CEO). As a result, a job well done gets noticed, opportunities for mentorship are spotted, and meaningful collaboration among colleagues is recognized and rewarded. Making a good living, providing stably for my family, and having a sense of purpose/fulfillment in my job are priorities – I’ve been fortunate to find all of these at Cummings. I’m also inspired daily that the commercial real estate portfolio managed by Cummings Properties accelerates the charitable missions of hundreds of local nonprofits.

The Cummings organization operates at a fast pace, where remaining nimble and being flexible is a necessity. While colleagues have defined roles and assigned areas of responsibility, it is not uncommon to be assigned a project outside the position’s day-to-day “scope.” Given the highly collaborative environment, however, there is ample support when moving tasks toward/over the finish line. For some, this might feel uncomfortable if a highly defined and more repetitious role is preferred.

There is an opportunity to make really good money here if you're willing to work 50+hrs for it. Non-management level staff are nice, normal, and down-to-earth people . Standard work environment in that regard. Free parking and lunch.

The Beverly office was straight out of the movie Office Space, cant speak so much on the Woburn office. Giant outdated cubicles, desk phones, technology and computers from the late 1990s/early 2000s. and filing cabinets filled to the brim with old lease documents. Absolutely zero Zoom or Microsoft Teams capability in their conference rooms. A kitchen/breakroom with three seats for an office of 30+ people. Despite coworkers being friendly with one another, there was always a sense of rock-bottom morale and negativity and that the company culture would never evolve and continue. It truly seems like nothing has changed since the 1970s...oh for the exception of no longer having to wear a tie which I think only became a policy in the mid 2010s. Some of the posts on this page from 10 years ago might as well have been written 10 hours ago. It sounds like the culture is ingrained and will never change. Some of the longer tenured staff have been there so long (and for the vast majority of their professional career) that they know no other way how to work or deal with people. Sometimes, longevity is the not the best thing for a company culture, and promoting staff who only echo what senior executives want to see or hear is the wrong way forward. Micromanaging is off the charts, even going as far to proofread basic email communications up to 3x or 4x before sending out to a client, only for the client to give a 10 word normal response. The policing of communications, even internal communication (you always need to bcc yourself) is outrageous and is a way for managers to constantly ensure the "Cummings Way" is enforced. Rampant firings and stern talking to's were always a thing. I saw senior level male staff reprimand female staff for wearing too tight of clothing or showing too much skin, as well as male staff being spoken to for having too much stubble on their face. Let people live and let people work without feeling self-conscious. No flexibility, specifically for childcare or hybrid work. 8-5 or 9-6 butts in seats schedule, zero exception. I knew of colleague's spouses who wanted them to quit before having kids....because of the lack of time and support the spouse would receive because of the Cummings work schedule. That's a true story. You'd think the pandemic would wake up even a commercial real estate firm that the "future of work" is not M-F for a 9 hr in-office shift, but not Cummings. I know so many people who spent hours "checking in on clients or prospects" when in reality they were hiding or crying in their cars or a vacant office suite. Despite the company doing a ton for charity (and they do a lot), that's unfortunately the culture that exists within their own walls. And I don't foresee that changing. Ever. It's sad. People here are legitimately brainwashed, and those who leave while they can are lucky.