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Short Elliott Hendrickson

Engaged Employer

An Employee-Owned Company Actually "Living" Its Mission - Sales Operations Short Elliott Hendrickson Employee Review

5.0
Jul 11, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-SEH is 100% employee-owned, meaning all that comes with the company's success is put back into the company and invested in not only current employees but future employees. SEH is growing rapidly, and current employees are given first opportunity at advancement. While not necessarily true for all professionals today, feeling like your company is looking out for your best interests -- personally and professionally -- is very important. I feel that way with SEH. Employees' voices feel "heard" which is refreshing and encouraging. -In today's very "corporate" business world, SEH breaks the norm. SEH is innovative in a lot of ways, especially in the engineering services provided to clients. However, the way the company operates has an old school feel. What I mean by this is, while there are reporting measures and such to ensure productivity, employees are trusted to do their jobs. You are treated as an adult, which may sound silly but I think can be understood by a lot of people in the professional world. Productivity is demanded and things move very quickly as work is deadline-driven, but there isn't that "perform NOW or we will fire you immediately"/sink or swim feeling that is rampant throughout many companies. When hired by SEH, you are trusted to do your job, and this trust continues so long as you remain accountable. If you struggle, they seek to help you get better, grow, mature. Training opportunities are offered throughout the year. Employees aren't micromanaged. You're hired because you're good at your job, you're pace is trusted, and you're trusted to do your job to the highest level. If you need to improve, you're encouraged in actionable ways. -SEH's mission is "Building a Better World for All of Us." It may sound cliche, but this is authenticated in the solutions the company provides to clients/municipalities -- which it had better be authentic because it's also one of SEH's major selling points to clients -- green, sustainability, enduring, cost-efficient, etc. Many companies have similar visions or mission statements, but with SEH you feel like the work you're doing is really contributing to building a better world. This is also represented internally. There are countless initiatives companywide and at individual offices that give employees the chance to build a better world, volunteer, make a difference. The bottom line is so often the one and only thing that matters; it's nice to see and experience a company that prides itself on giving back to the communities it serves as well as the environment. -Excellent flexibility, whether that's working remotely, taking PTO on short notice, needing to be there for family members, etc. The company is very family friendly and they go out of their way to show this. -The health benefits are the best I've ever seen, and mostly paid for BY the company. Many companies have resorted to only offering high-deductible health plans with HSAs and the like. SEH gives you the option to choose, as well as significant amounts of money toward comprehensive coverage. As someone born with a chronic illness (asthma) that requires regular checks ups, care and prescriptions, I can't even begin to describe the amount of money I've saved because of the health insurance plan. -Yearly, formal reviews with structured raise/advancement potential. You know where you stand at all times, and the company is fully transparent about that. -Employee stock ownership plan (e.g., you can own stock in the company!) and matching 401K. -Company is growing and expanding. There are offices throughout the Midwest including St. Paul, Madison, Milwaukee, Denver, La Crosse, Appleton, Chippewa Falls, Minnetonka, etc. If you need or want to move, transferring is often encouraged if at all possible. -Turnover is exceptionally low! SEH employs something like 800 people. Many employees have been here 10 years, 20 years, some even 30-40 years. SEH is a destination company. If you are hired and want it to be your last job/your job "home," it can be and the company tries very hard to give everyone this opportunity. -Your superiors don't talk down to you or at you, they talk to you. They listen. They have your back. Obviously performance matters and you won't last if you can't do your job, but at SEH you're all on the same team working toward the same goals, and you're put in a position by your immediate supervisors, teammates and the higher ups to succeed. -I can understand how a review like this might come across as spouting off for the company, mostly because I previously worked at a company that urged employees to write about how great culture and the like were. With SEH though, there just really is no need to pander or to promote because the company practices what it preaches, at every level.

Cons

-Some of the smaller offices feel isolated and secluded from the bigger offices. These smaller offices tend to lack the resources of other, bigger offices as well. -Communication is a big part of the company, and many people try very hard to make sure communication is open, clear, transparent. But SEH is a big company with about 30 offices. So employees are spread throughout several states. When you're working with teams located in other states and offices, it can be challenging to remain engaged and to feel fully informed if you're not someone who puts in the effort to keep the communication loop open and constant. -Personally, I love the "old school" feel that SEH brings compared to other very corporate feeling businesses. For younger employees, I can understand how you might not be able to adapt to this kind of environment. If you're new to the working world and kind of a "job hopper" then SEH probably isn't for you.

Explore other reviews about Short Elliott Hendrickson

5.0
Feb 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

the working experience is really nice

Cons

i quit bto pursue a leisure life

avatar
Short Elliott Hendrickson Response
2mo
We appreciate you sharing your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed your time at SEH and wish you the best moving forward.
1.0
Jan 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work life balance Work from anywhere policy

Cons

All senior level engineers are absolutely checked out and just coasting until retirement. It's clear everyone has advanced through years with the company and not on merit. The company is incredibly slow to adapt. My first day I showed up to the office, a cubicle farm and was given outdated tech. They still supply wired keyboard and mouse and wired headsets. It was a warning sign of things to come. Saying the office environment is drab is too kind. They still employ full wall cubicles and closed door offices with no windows. Any company even remotely in tune with today's office culture left these behind 10-20 years ago. The work is slow and unrewarding at best. They work on bloated government contacts. I was routinely given 2-4 hours of work and told we have 40-80 hours budgeted so make sure you use it all

1
avatar
Short Elliott Hendrickson Response
4mo
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’m sorry to hear your experience didn’t meet your expectations, and I appreciate you taking the time to offer candid feedback. We take input like this seriously – especially around career growth, office experience, workload planning, and healthcare costs. We’re investing in updated tools and systems, working to strengthen how work is planned and supported, and reviewing our total rewards offerings while continuing to improve the day-to-day experience for our employee-owners. We’re also evaluating ways to modernize our on-site environment, including the ongoing remodel of our St. Paul office. Feedback like yours helps us stay focused on where we need to keep improving. Thank you for your contributions while you were here, I wish you the best in your future endeavors.
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