HDR reviews

4.1

79% would recommend to a friend

(1,809 total reviews)
avatar

John W. Henderson

89% approve of CEO

86% positive business outlook

HDR has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 1,809 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The HDR employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
2.0
Jun 2, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Willing to pay good salaries -Wealth of knowledge throughout company (i.e. networking, knowledge/work sharing, resources, etc.) -Reputation of company -Great professional growth -Location of offices and chances for TDY work in those places

Cons

HDR surrounds itself with probably a little too much protocol and bureaucracy that seem to get in the way of progress and innovative management. My experience in working with other corporations and their "way of doing things", HDR is probably right up there in terms of stagnation and placing archaic ideals into its products and, more importantly, employees. I saw one incident where a supposedly notable senior project manager yelled at a good engineer in front of other colleagues. I had a number of incidents where a manager was adamant in the statement "that's just the way we do things around here.." In my time there, I saw really good talent, knowledge, and experience be replaced with staff of more personable nature and sycophancy. More style, less substance. If you are a real "go-getter" or an overachiever and single, you will do and be compensated well. Plan on working long hours with sometimes very little or no accolade. If you have family, you will have to make sacrifices in order for to achieve recognition/promotion, to compete, or not be frowned upon. All the tools for professional and career growth and development are there but you'll have to do it on your own (when you have the time) with very little guidance or sometimes, respect. Be leery of managers who micro-manage, that blacklist you, or surround themselves in other people's successes or point other people's failures for personal gain.

3.0
Apr 7, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They have great resources, many knowledgeable people. They are number 1 in health care design, they push the envelope of what could be done. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will be amazing when completed. Their motto "Together we are better" is a great work ethic and can been seen through work share projects where teams of experts from different offices within the company converge and create great projects. Through work share a person can make many connections within the company.

Cons

Long hours are to be expected but that differs by office where 60+ hour work weeks are the norm for one and others have a normal work week and will change with deadlines. Getting pigeon holed is very common, not a place to advance in one's career unless they move away from HDR or a certain office and return. HDR is a newcomer in terms of producing the newest and greatest, there so much bureaucracy that it slows the reaction to any type of change. If one has good ideas or methods to improve workflow, it won't be done in any timely fashion.

3.0
Apr 2, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

HDR has grown by acquiring many small firms that were successful and has thus employed many talented individuals. Working with some of those individuals can be a distinct pleasure. HDR also seems to generally strive to keep this talent from walking out the door. As an example, individuals with specialized capabilities such as wastewater treatment plant design aren't put on the streets once a project ends.

Cons

Management processes tend to be applied bureaucratically. Individuals who have demonstrated successful track records for many years will still be required to conform to mind-numbing procedures that are basically designed to capture the errors of those who are either less seasoned or talented. The talent that was acquired from smaller successful firms may not thrive in this environment.

Viewing 1804 - 1806 of 1,809 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,037 HDR reviews submitted anonymously by HDR employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if HDR is right for you.