A company with integrity and an amazing place to work - Civil Engineer DOWL Employee Review

5.0
Feb 27, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Awesome leadership with integrity, kind and capable people, numerous training opportunities, fair compensation, amazing projects, great benefits and bonuses, work flexibility, emphasis on profitability but not at the expense of people. I noticed more training opportunities in my first year than the previous 3 years at a different work place. Dowl cares about their people.

Cons

Depending on office and time of year, work/life balance can be challenging. However, management is eager to assist in balancing workload. Dowl wants employees to have good work/life balance. When I first started, it seemed like Dowl was dragging a little in adapting to new technologies. I’ve noticed vast improvement in this area this past year. Lastly, like many American engineering companies, Dowl’s parental leave policy is lacking.

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DOWL Response
5y
Thanks for the thorough and well thought out review. Love the specificity of the advice to management. One thing we have all learned (re-learned) is that parenting, public school schedules, and work are so intertwined that we need to be flexible and modify our benefits to better accommodate our working parents and caregivers. We are investing heavily in technologies and systems to make our workers more efficient while hey work from anywhere. And DOWL 25 is all about people development and recruiting and making our staff happier, more engaged, and lifetime learners. Suggestions like this are critical to help management stay focused on "the most important things". Thanks again!

Explore other reviews about DOWL

5.0
Dec 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company attracts highly talented and knowledgeable engineers and project managers. The peer mentorship is invaluable. The benefits package is competitive, particularly the 401(k) match and health insurance options. There's a lot of flexibility in working arrangements and hours, which is helpful for personal scheduling. Clear opportunities for career growth and advancement if you demonstrate initiative.

Cons

The company could benefit from more standardized knowledge-sharing protocols between different departments and geographic locations.

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DOWL Response
6mo
I’m so glad to hear you are using some of DOWL’s programs to your advantage and your career is being supported by some of our great people. You’ll be happy to know that we plan to expand on our supervisor/leadership and project manager training in the coming year! We try and keep the whole company apprised of high-level goings on through intranet posts and all-staff meetings, among other things. Our market sectors get a lot of autonomy, which is important for those groups to be able to run their corners of the business, but can sometimes lead to gaps in communication. Be sure to talk with your supervisor or office manager if there are specific things you wish were better communicated between departments or geographies. These dots can sometimes be connected by regular office or market sector meetings where the larger group can discuss what they’re up to.
2.0
May 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Met some great people that I am still in contact with - Learned new skills

Cons

- Bad management. When I told my supervisor that I was burnt out, I was told to "Smile through it" and "Be happy that I'm not working 60 hours a week like other departments. - No room to grow at all unless you are an engineer.

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DOWL Response
3w
I agree – we have great people at DOWL! As with most consultancies, our project workload does occasionally necessitate putting in additional hours so we can meet our clients’ needs. I’m sorry you feel your manager did not work with you to take advantage of some our flexible work options or coordinate workshare. The facts do not support your claim that you cannot grow unless you are an engineer. We have many people in leadership roles who do not have PEs, including Practice Area Leaders, Board Members, and most of our C-suite staff.
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