Hard working colleagues, interesting projects, fast paced. Projects often understaffed - Senior Researcher ICF Employee Review

4.0
Sep 18, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Hard working colleagues, interesting projects, ability to specialise in a policy area but try out other areas if interested.

Cons

Long working hours, sometimes lack of senior support, often balancing 5-6 projects as a senior, not enough time for professional development, projects often under resourced leading to working overtime for free every week. Weekend working is usual at senior level. Average pay for the UK social research sector as working for government or EU clients with tight budgets, you can make far more in the market research sector. Below average salary for the sector when you consider the working hours.

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ICF Response
2y
Thank you for your feedback. Very happy to hear you enjoy the projects you worked on. Consulting certainly has its challenges when meeting client expectations. Projects can come in ebbs and flows, and client needs can change based on their priorities. However, most contracts have a set number of hours of work that cannot be exceeded. While meeting these demands is important, taking care of ourselves is a top priority. Discuss your workload and expectations with your manager. While we want to go above and beyond for our clients, we don't want to exceed expectations at the expense of employees personal and professional time. - KZ

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5.0
Mar 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

People, Mission, Culture, Technology, Remote. You work on projects and technologies that actually impact and improves the day to day lives of people around you, the community and the Country

Cons

Pay, No much room for upward mobility. If you are a high performer, you'll struggle as the structure rewards years spent in the company vs level of expertise or experience.

4.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful people Meaningful work Flexibility with schedule and remote work

Cons

Sub-par benefits and pay, particularly compared to other consulting roles High utilization targets for junior staff

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