Please believe me, RUN. - Utility Locate Technician ELM Companies Employee Review

1.0
Jul 31, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fast paced and demanding work

Cons

These people value production above all else. They just hired 10 new techs and guaranteed they will be laid off in the winter. All those people are pressured to skip lunches and breaks and to cut corners to get as much done as possible. They will all be fired soon enough when the work slows down. They all receive half working equipment and are advised to buy better stuff. These poor people spend their own money on this temp job and are told that if they do good enough, they might get to stay through the winter. ALL the supervisors and employees that have been here 6 months or longer are desperate to find a better company. The work car cannot be used for anything other than work so I hope you have extra parking at home because that is all it is to ELM, free parking. I have to walk several blocks first thing in the morning to find my work car. It's a 2 wheel drive as they all are and they will be replaced with 2 wheel drive Ford escapes in the future. What kind of company send people out in the snow in 2 wheel drive vehicles? Not Cascade, not PSE, not county or city, no one does that. And check this out, you have to use a virtual laptop on your cell phone to find your work orders and view maps. I'll say that again.. In a job where 60% of the time you will not have a cell signal, you will rely on your phone to remote link to a virtual laptop in another state. You cannot download maps. You will spend most of your career lost and incapable of viewing underground utilities and if you drive to get a signal, you will take to long and subsequently get fired for lack of production. I saw ELM just hire a bunch of guys and then tell all of them to wait a couple weeks later. Some of these people had jobs and quit to start work with ELM and then had to go two weeks without pay, and then buy their own equipment, and skip lunches and breaks. I'm training these people often and I always tell them all the same thing, "run".

Explore other reviews about ELM Companies

5.0
Nov 19, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Take-Home work vehicle, cell phone, work laptop, gas card, flexible hours, decent pay.

Cons

It's hard to retain quality locators just due to the location and excessive heat during the summers(Phoenix ,AZ) and scope of some of the locates called in. It can definitely take a toll on your mental well-being, but help is always there if you need it especially when some contractors call in a locate ticket for 10,000 plus feet to be located or entire neighborhoods is they are installing new fiber... Those requests are usually not that common depending on which area you're working but places that are expanding and all that it's more prevalent.

3.0
Dec 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Company vehicle, gas card, laptop and phone and unmatched ability to work over time

Cons

A lot to much to explain but whoever has worked with this company knows

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