Smithbucklin reviews

2.7

30% would recommend to a friend

(462 total reviews)
avatar

Matt Sanderson

42% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Smithbucklin has an employee rating of 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 462 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Smithbucklin employee rating is 27% below average for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

462 reviews
2.0
Aug 3, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I really enjoyed a lot of the people I worked with. I have maintained friendships with many former coworkers. If you want to gain a lot of skills that can be applied to many other careers, SmithBucklin is great for that. If you work hard, there are opportunities for advancement, but you have to be very vocal to your managers about your expectations. You basically have to threaten to quit before they will give you a raise or promotion.

Cons

The compensation is terrible for the hours that the company expects you to work. Burnout and turnover is extremely high so work teams are always changing.

2.0
Jul 3, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. You will learn how to multi-task, how to handle a matrix environment diplomatically, and how to navigate office politics quickly. You will work in a fast paced environment that will challenge you every day.

Cons

Work-life balance is non-existent unless you make it a priority from day one. Make sure you understand exactly what is expected of you and don't succumb to the 24/7 environment. Colleagues of mine went grey and got sick from the stress. This is the most high stress company I've ever worked in. The good news is, if you can make it here everything else will seem like a cake walk.

5.0
Jun 13, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The most genuine, honest review I can offer regarding employment at SmithBucklin can be condensed into five words: it is not for everyone. There. The cat is out of the bag; the cards are on the table; the truth has been exposed. Just like black olives on pizza, roller coaster rides and monogamy: working at SmithBucklin may not be the right thing ("fit") for everyone. The intent of saying so is not to trivialize constructive criticism or dismiss legitimate concerns on behalf of former and current employees, but simply to highlight that while SmithBucklin may not be for everyone (for what I believe to be a variety of justifiable reasons) - there are those (who stay and thrive and grow) who truly find their niche and calling in the work that they do on behalf of SmithBucklin and the client organizations they serve. It is my belief, and drawn from my experience at the company, that SmithBucklin is successful because of its people - its passionate, extraordinarily hard-working, dedicated, resilient, talented, tenacious people. I am someone who all but stumbled into association management the way I imagine Max Planck "unintentionally" revolutionized physics - completely "accidental-like on a breeze." And as true as it is that I have been tasked with challenging work at SmithBucklin, it is equally accurate that the rewards and fruit of my (diligent) labor proved to be of significant value. I cannot say that I have not put in long hours (long, coffee-guzzling, hours that were interrupted with grace-saving pizza deliveries, encouraging emails and occasionally blaring the 300 soundtrack after hours for motivation)... but I can say it has been worth it every time (because of recognition, career development, networking opportunities and relationship-building with the aforementioned passionate, extraordinarily hard-working, dedicated, resilient, talented, tenacious people). So while there is merit in the idea that this is not easy work, I have to humbly declare that there is a tremendous amount of knowledge to gain and skills to learn - which, in my opinion, is not always easy to come by. Additionally, and in the good nature of not speaking on behalf of others, I would render the experience I had at SmithBucklin as invaluable. And I would render it so because of the people I met and had the privilege to learn from and work with/for/in the vicinity of. I've grown personally and professionally in my time at SmithBucklin. It was an education and a friendship, and I am better for the experience.

Cons

Demanding environment; occasionally difficult (though not impossible) to master the art of striking a work-life balance.

Viewing 394 - 396 of 462 Reviews

Glassdoor has 468 Smithbucklin reviews submitted anonymously by Smithbucklin employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Smithbucklin is right for you.