AECOM reviews

The senior management is not engaged with the staff in the trenches. The business appears to be run by a group that does not understand what we do and how we do it - as demonstrated in the new, onerous timesheets, expense sheets and project management systems. Why should we have user unfriendly systems that require masses of training (and some of it uninspired and incorrect) to account for our hours? These systems should help - not hinder our work. Middle management cannot make any decisions and we seem to be frozen in time - everyone acts like they are afraid to do something in case it does not meet the new AECOM standards ( or something) or it gets bogged down in the approval process - moving ever higher up the chain. Little in the way of marketing materials to help with selling the name - often asked if we are an accounting or law firm. No name recognition in our area. The company does not engage many staff or clients by promoting the big projects that do not relate to our area or practice. We want to hear, and be able to tell a story to our clients, about projects that are relevant to our location and scale of work. We are an aging population and some of the new standards (9pt font comes to mind!) does not recognize this. We need to be realistic in who the client is and what they need in order to readily utilize the information we provide. Make if difficult to read or find and they won't be interested. Look at who the client is and what they want.

In discussions to join AECOM and even after, we were told that the firms would retain their brand, culture, and successful ways of conducting business. That wasn't true, although transition to one name could work over time. There are insufficient checks to leadership inproprieties despite the positive corporate policies on ethics. The strong focus on large projects diminishes the recognition of how important smaller projects are. During the recession-caused layoffs of about 10-15% of staff, many brilliant entrepreneurial staff were permanently let go. Staff are working in fear and jaded from the corporate changes imposed and the apparent lack of power and will of their own office leaders.