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Good work, project placement can be based on luck, but hard work generally recognised. - Assistant Mechanical Engineer Atkins Employee Review

3.0
Jan 14, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company has a good focus on personal development and choosing your own career path is largely up to you if you take the initiative and talk to the right people. Plenty of opportunities for secondments at other business (+/- a year or two) and client exposure is high on some projects. Flexible working hours and relaxed office environment. I have however noticed in a change for the worse in recent months.

Cons

You are placed in a team when starting which might focus on engineering which you are not entirely confident with. Once you're in a team, its very difficult to move. Some teams are also quite cliquey. There should be more choice in which team you are placed, or at least an explanation/summary of what each team does given to prospective employees before they join. There is a mismatch between a constant push for productivity and the effort senior management go for to actually find work for staff that are unproductive. This is more so in certain teams than in others and is also largely dependent on the line manager you are given. Salary progression is poor which is why staff retention at mid-senior grades is suffering

Explore other reviews about Atkins

5.0
Oct 13, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of work to be done Many opportunities to try different things

Cons

Advancement can be hard Working alongside underperformers

2.0
Nov 17, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Job and a paycheck but in a house of cards.

Cons

Wow, be careful! Atkins North America was acquired when Atkins in London bought a notorious US engineering based in Florida, PBS&J (Post, Buckley, Shuh and Jernigan). I didn't do enough research when hired and found out too late I was working for a company that has been prosecuted multiple times for serious illegalities, and some of the executives who participated but escaped prosecution are still there! PBS&J has been indicted for bribing government officials, illegal campaign contributions, and was a private company put on the chopping blocks to sell for being so poorly managed when several of the employees embezzled millions upon millions of dollars. As recent as 2016 the company was struggling financially because of legal costs and fines to the extent the focus became finishing out existing contracts rather than procuring new ones...an indicator they do not want new business and are likely to chop off the US engineering wing and spin those employees out to another company. Do your research before accepting a job there, the good old boy network that didn't previously get caught or prosecuted in the illegalities is still working there, and they haven't changed much in being secretive about what they are doing!! Get everything in writing as they are all about the bait and switch.

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