Power Design reviews

If I had to sum up my experience at PDI I would simply say it is like being on a rollercoaster with plenty of ups and plenty of lows. Recently, the lows are outweighing the ups which makes it difficult to come to work every day not knowing if its going to be an up day or a low day. Contributing factors to these lows are serious issues that seem to go unaddressed until they fester into the overall performance of a project or department. -The inner-company squabbles of our Systems group who have a “Monopoly” budget mentality is generally combative and managers have little input when it comes to outsourcing these systems on projects. -The recent boom in project awards has led to an exuberant amount of new hires. These new hires generally have a 4-year degree in something other than construction but are placed in entry level “PE” or even “APM” positions. Their lack of knowledge in the electrical industry is taxing on seasoned staff. Most managers are left picking up the pieces when these individuals under perform. -“Work, Life, Balance” is PDI’s mantra. However, this balance is interpreted differently between generations and often taken for granted. Again, successful managers are left struggling to get their work done along with their subordinate’s work. -Employees who succeed at PDI are expected to work more than 40 hours per week, with 60+ hours being the norm for most managers. These long hours are taxing on the employees and their families with many of the long hours going unnoticed and unpaid for salaried employees. -Salaries tend to be based off who complains the most or who threatened to quit recently. Tenured employees lack the compensation of recent new hires in lower level positions. Existing employees are “capped” on compensation adjustments. This practice even applies to employees that move through the ranks of higher-level management. Field staff is generally the exception to these salary increases and are often over compensated because of market conditions. These field employees are generally given the red carpet treatment and are typically not reprimanded for underperforming until a project fails. -Empty promises of bonuses for staff leave a less than desirable taste in employees mouths. Bonuses are not guaranteed and that’s made clear from day one. However, when a direct manager indicates that the criteria has been met and discusses the total amounts for various achievements, it’s expected that compensation will be given which is not always the case. -Growth, PDI preaches growth but neglects providing the structure necessary to obtain this growth. A lot of the higher-level managers have been in the “right place right time” scenario with top level managers with as little as 6 years in the industry. These individuals put in the work and carry themselves well in most situations; this isn’t to discredit their abilities. However, this leaves the next individual wondering how to get to that next level. Titles/compensation seem to come easier to others while most struggle to get noticed. These individuals that struggle to get noticed often are great performers and feel “stuck” as their managers do not want to lose their top producers.

I have no cons at this time