CULTURE:
Don't let the surveys of "Top Workplaces," or "Best Places to Work" fool you.
This company and the "RK&K Way" is stuck in antiquated mindsets masquerading as "innovative."
They love to talk about their "family" atmosphere that sets them apart. If by "family" they mean dysfunctional, then they nailed it!
There are two RK&K's. One for technical people (most of the staff)... one for everyone else.
The technical side has a mindset of "You should worship the ground we walk on." Sure, there are some great and friendly people. (This was the exception, not the norm.) There are many more people (especially at the executive level) who are some of the most rude and unprofessional people I have ever worked with over a long career. That speaks to a systemic and cultural problem. The technical side of the company thinks only their time is important, and the time of non-technical or support staff is less valuable. One (non-technical) person who left the company before me described each day as "getting kicked where it hurts."
As one executive (on the non-technical side) said once in a group meeting.. "They (technical staff) want the big titles, they want the big salaries, they want the recognition."
Another big systemic issue... people at the executive level saying one thing, then turning around and doing the opposite in practice.
The most common responses I received when asking for help from people at the highest levels of this company were, "I'm too busy," "No," "I don't have time, go ask this person," etc. That wasn't what the company was saying in their marketing, with videos from people saying, "I could go to the top of the company with a question."
Maybe if someone worked on the technical side they could? But for someone not on the technical side, they are told they can't reach out to the owners of the company... and they have to go through their boss first. It certainly goes against the "collaborative" culture the company boasts about.
LEADERSHIP STYLE:
Several of the owners of the company are severe micromanagers. There is a difference between being aware of what people are doing, and asking intelligent questions and micromanaging. Multiple owners struggle to let go of things that they are not experts in, and often dictate what should be done.. rather than listen to people they hired who have way more professional experience and knowledge.
I heard several senior leaders/executives (who weren't owners) express fear of going to the owners with legitimate questions from staff about ways to improve culture, workflow, productivity, and collaboration among other things. Without fail, the response was, "Well, you know what the owners will say." Or, "Well, I can ask, but I'll have a hard time making that case." Or, "Well, these suggestions have to come from the technical side if anything is going to happen."
OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS
If you're on the technical side, there is now a detailed structure in place on how to advance in your career at the company. If you're not on the technical staff, good luck getting a promotion, or getting clarity about how you can advance your career there.
The benefits the company offered were the worst of any company I've ever worked for. Maybe they are better than other civil engineering companies? Sure, there's some PTO, a 401(k) plan, healthcare, dental... but the premiums for health & dental were more than what I paid at other companies (with way less employees); the 401(k) match was lower than any other company I worked at; there was no real "bonus" at the end of the year... Really, the bonus was just enough to cover the expenses for the small team holiday party we threw for our direct reports (that wouldn't be reimbursed by the company)... that we were "highly encouraged" to throw.
In summation... life may be golden if you work on the technical side of this company. If you aren't technical, there's a strong likelihood you will endure the worst professional experience in your career.
