Pros
Performance: There is a lot to learn at HP and new comers truly begins to contribute to the bottom line on day one (or soon afterwards). The learning curve is steep, but after 6 months, you really begin to learn the ropes. There are incentives in place to reward great performance (although buy-in to these incentives vary by project/project manager, as well as what those incentives are). Hensel Phelps has some great qualities. If you stick long enough with the company, you have the opportunity to become a great builder.
Cons
It is definitely a construction company version of a "good ol' boys club". The hours can be long, but that comes with the territory of construction. It can be hard work (mentally & physically) on many days, but it is also fun. There are some really great people at HP, but there are some who truly make HP an unpleasant work place. HP lacks diversity, and there is even a greater retention issue. Disgruntled coworkers are no fun either. I left because I noticed a huge gap in my training & inclusion in respect to my other counterparts, several prejudice/racist comments were often made, and there was no outlet/procedure to ensure that it would ever become better for me. It simply was an unpleasant place to be, but the actual work was exciting. Unfortunately, the passive aggression became worse and I eventually left. I have heard similar comments from many other former HP employees with my similar profile; however, HP does an impeccable job of ensuring that technically no laws are broken, and if they are, people cover for each other - a true "good ol' boys" club. It has the potential to be an exceptional place to work, but the Achilles heels of HP is the inherent desire to recruit many, but train and foster construction professionals who solely fit the good ol' boys description. It was definitely a great disappointment.
