Avoid Like the Plague - Anonymous employee DLR Group Employee Review

2.0
Jul 29, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Many on the staff are talented designers that would be successful in most design firms.

Cons

The firm is really nothing more than a corporate raider who buys up smaller firms, pushes out the talent, absorbs their portfolios and backlog, then rinses and repeats by buying more firms every couple of years. They push the employees towards buying stock in the company under the guise of "employee ownership" but it is really just to be able to fund the purchase of more firms with no real ability to be an owner (common joke is the employees are told to "act like an owner" just don't think like one). This creates a culture clash and resentment, losing much of the talent that made the smaller firms successful. Many on the executive and leadership teams are passive aggressive and, in some cases, downright abusive. Their mentoring and employee management lacks authenticity and actual career guidance and often is checking a box rather than really living that goal. They are not supportive on employees who come with positive reputations outside in the industry. If a person has a national or international footprint and DLR did not "create it", they are often shunned from being in a spotlight (a major mistake IMO). If someone asked me to apply to DLR regardless of the discipline, and I knew then, the experience I and many others have had, it would be a definite no thanks. Watch their actions, as their words are snake oil.

Explore other reviews about DLR Group

5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fantastic growth opportunities and great teamwork.

Cons

A large firm, so you must make yourself seen.

1
1.0
Apr 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Good support for getting your license -Lots of office locations

Cons

-You aren’t valued as an employee, you are seen as a person in a seat and replaceable. This is made very clear during layoff seasons. -You don’t move up based on your project work or even your annual reviews. Promotions, raises and bonuses are heavily influenced by who you are friends with in leadership and how well you play corporate politics - Company has long term relationships with corrupt clients and refuses to damage or end this relationship despite internal employee outrage when this was shared. Multiple articles have been released about this incident and despite outrage they are continuing this work. I highly recommend googling this company before working for them as they lie about this during the interview process. -Have to pay to park at work -Process for receiving associate and principal titles is a popularity contest and not based on your actual contributions. -Regularly expected to work unpaid over time and project staffing is very inconsistent and unorganized. -Many people are underpaid and raises are percentage increases vs performance based. -Culture of Dallas office is extremely draining and hypocritical. Younger staff being held to higher standards than leadership. (Example - holding younger staff back salary wise due to not having a license while having multiple unlicensed people in positions of leadership) -Took away Hybrid work option and brought back mandatory 4 days in office -Sustainability is used as a marketing tool instead of actually being applied to projects. Lots of greenwashing happening on projects to meet AIA requirements.

6
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