Does CannonDesign pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, CannonDesign employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at CannonDesign. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at CannonDesign?

86% of CannonDesign employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated CannonDesign 4.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at CannonDesign?

Architect (48) , Architectural Designer (21) , Designer (9) , Interior Designer (9) , Engineer (8) , Project Architect (8) , Architectural Intern (6) , Intern (5) , Vice President (5) , Administrative Assistant (4) , Architect II (4) , Associate (4) , Associate Vice President (4) , Intern Architect (4) , Project Manager (4)

What are the pros of working at CannonDesign according to real employee reviews?

"Great people and a sincere collegiality that is inspiring." ((in 46 reviews)); "Great culture office to office." ((in 16 reviews)); "Good work environment to be in" ((in 8 reviews)); "Benefits are good." ((in 8 reviews)); "People, job types, opportunity, collaborative environment" ((in 6 reviews))

What are the cons of working at CannonDesign according to real employee reviews?

"Poor project management and leadership leads to lots of unpaid overtime." ((in 12 reviews)); "Poor management within some portions of organization." ((in 11 reviews)); "long hours but mostly by choice due to drive and passion" ((in 10 reviews)); "Bloated upper management that is out of touch with the lower ranks who are in the trenches doing the work." ((in 9 reviews)); "Pay does not compare to baseline salaries of other firms." ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about CannonDesign layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about CannonDesign layoffs and their outlook for job security at CannonDesign in 2026.

What are the top reviewed CannonDesign locations?

Chicago , New York , Boston , Los Angeles , Saint Louis , Buffalo , Denver , Washington , Houston , Grand Island , Baltimore , Pittsburgh , Arlington , Irvine , Dallas , Chesapeake , Brooklyn , Euless , Minneapolis , San Diego , San Francisco , Santa Clara , Boulder , Portland , Boca Raton

CannonDesign reviews

4.1

86% would recommend to a friend

(334 total reviews)

Brad Lukanic, AIA

94% approve of CEO

79% positive business outlook

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CannonDesign has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 334 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The CannonDesign employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

334 reviews

1.0

Mar 25, 2015

Forget About it.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great view from the office.

Cons

I would have to say this is the worst company I have worked for. There is a great culture of "kiss behind to get what you want". If you go in, do what you are supposed to do and put in the extra effort, nobody will notice. However, if you chat with the principals, you would get promoted and get noticed as a "get it done" person. There is no loyalty. I have seen a senior person who was laid off after 29 years of service. Company claims they need a new strategy, so they lay off a bunch of people, hire new people and few months they do the same again. The company has a very high multiplier which translates to higher fees which means no work. The majority of the projects are overpriced to compensate for the multiple Senior Vice Presidents they have. There are a lot of SVPs that give directions but not many people to actually do the work. I would not recommend this company to anyone. Stay away.

1.0

Oct 2, 2018

FKP Leadership sold employees out by joining Cannon

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Bigger company, more projects which made you feel a bit more safe than the horrible way that FKP leadership ran the company. When other leaders were still there it was much better. They cut their entire C suite team and that began the demise of the firm. Diane and Holly are horrible leaders. At least Diane has a heart although she was a horrible leader as she was all about Diane. Holly on the other hand is all about Holly and nothing about anyone else.

Cons

Having to work with Holly was pretty much what sealed my decision to leave the firm. She is NOT even an Architect. She positions herself with clients so that they don't realize that. She is way over her head and it is apparent to everyone.

CannonDesign Response

7y

This was a difficult review to read and we’re sorry your experience with FKP / CannonDesign wasn’t a positive one. Merging two distinct firms can be challenging for employees on both sides, but in this case, both of our firms are stronger and better together. The FKP team has brought wonderful new leadership, ideas and opportunities to CannonDesign - and we’re excited for the future. While we are sorry you didn’t have a better experience, it’s unfortunate to see comments directed at specific individuals on Glassdoor. We have robust internal processes in place where such information can be shared confidentially. We strive every day to provide the leadership, resources and opportunities for our people to have great experiences with our company. We wish you well in your future endeavors.

1.0

May 25, 2017

Poor leadership

Associate vice president

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lower staff willing to help. Interesting projects.

Cons

The firm where others get credit for your hard work. Poor leadership. Top heavy. Lot of talk and no delivery. The new CEO is arrogant completely uninspiring and the position is over his head.

CannonDesign Response

9y

Thanks for taking the time to write this review, and I’m sorry to see you decided to leave the firm. As the leader of our Chicago office, I take any feedback — good or bad — very seriously. And honestly, when I first saw your comment, it was tough to read. I wish we had the chance to talk about your frustrations before you left, and I wish you had the chance to get to know our CEO, Brad — because the person you wrote about in your review isn’t him. It’s been almost a year since our new leadership team was put in place. The team certainly has some challenges to solve, but they’re making significant progress and I have full faith this progress will continue. And, since Brad became CEO, he’s visited our office numerous times – and with each visit, he sits in our café for open office hours. He does this because he wants everyone to feel welcome to come up and talk to him about whatever’s on their minds. And most importantly, he doesn’t do this because we ask him to – he does it because he genuinely loves this company and wants every employee’s voice to be heard. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet your expectations while you were at CannonDesign. But I will continue to work tirelessly to make our firm an extraordinary place for every employee in Chicago. I have endless optimism for our firm’s future. -Tim Swanson, Office Practice Leader

Viewing 7 - 9 of 334 Reviews

Jobs at CannonDesign

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FKP Leadership sold employees out by joining Cannon

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