Good first job in the energy industry - Manager Franklin Energy Employee Review

3.0
Jan 29, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You're doing work that you can feel good about at the end of the day. The company mission is to use the planet's natural resources more efficiently, and you save consumers money and help lower emissions from people's normal routines. The CEO and upper level management are good at what they do, likable, and available to talk to for pretty much anybody at the company. Really does feel more like a "family" than most businesses of this size, and they honestly do care about you as a person. Also, you're working with utilities, so there's less of a hyper-competitive marketplace for the contracts that you're bidding on and working to retain. Work life balance is pretty good, especially if you're not a workaholic already.

Cons

Starting salaries are pretty low and compensation levels don't make any sense in most cases. There are people who are absolutely vital to the day to day operations of the office making ~$15k less than some others who basically just delegate work and kick the theoretical can down the road. If you do manage to make it past an entry level position, the difference between what you make and what a person with the same job title and description makes can be $20k. Not a lot of transparency in that aspect so it's important to talk frankly with your coworkers and understand if you're on the wrong end of that equation. Depending on your manager and situation, it could be something that you address once, maybe twice a year. But at the end of the day if you're a top 20% performer looking for a competitive paycheck then this may not be your #1 option. As with most companies, there seem to be a certain number of people who just continue floating on teams through the months without providing much actual value, but somehow make more money than you will. So be prepared to come to terms with that. Also, you better like long meetings, because there's more than enough of those to go around.

Explore other reviews about Franklin Energy

5.0
Nov 6, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Growing company Helping the environment Helping clients, customers, contractors, and team members Flexible hours Remote work for many roles Teams where everyone feels a part Creative and extremely intelligent thought leaders and industry experts Jobs for every personality and skillset

Cons

Contracted work so things change from time to time

1.0
May 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Some talented people that are seriously trying * You can say you work in sustainability

Cons

This organization is weighed down by a culture that prioritizes internal bureaucracy over actually supporting the people who drive revenue. Support functions like accounting, payroll, IT, legal, and recruiting consistently create friction instead of removing it. Processes feel designed for the convenience of those teams rather than the business as a whole. Simple things like expense reporting, travel booking, payroll, or accessing systems are unnecessarily complicated and slow. Training is another weak point. The bar for what qualifies as “training” or “subject matter expertise” is surprisingly low. Sessions often lack depth, practical relevance, and real industry credibility. It’s hard to take them seriously or apply much of what’s taught. There are also too many non-value-added processes: 1) You need to submit tickets just to access basic systems—even when no approval is required. 2) Benefits are overly complex and difficult to understand, with too many niche programs instead of focusing on strong core offerings. 3) The recruiting process is so convoluted it requires long training sessions just to navigate it. On top of that, the company talks a lot about values but seems to miss the basics - consistent, high-quality execution. There’s far too much emphasis on “big moments” and not enough focus on just doing everyday work well. Transparency is poor. When you ask why something is done a certain way, the default answer is “it’s policy” or “it’s how we’ve always done it.” That kind of thinking kills trust and makes it clear that improvement isn’t a priority. There is a lot of feedback forms and listening sessions but nothing changes. Also no communication on what is done with the feedback The biggest issue, though, is HR leadership. The Chief People Officer spent their entire career as a recruiter—and now they’re responsible for the entire HR function. What a joke. It shows in how disconnected HR policies and processes are from actual operational needs.

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