employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

The Howard Group

Is this your company?

The Howard Group reviews

4.0

70% would recommend to a friend

(18 total reviews)

Kevin Howard St John

68% approve of CEO

67% positive business outlook

The Howard Group has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 18 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The Howard Group employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

18 reviews
5.0
Mar 14, 2020

I Love It Here

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I've wanted to post a review of the Howard Group for a while now and I finally got some time to do that today. I've been with the company for many years and have worked with almost everyone there at some point. I have seen lots of people come and go over the years, but that's normal for the industry and I think they have a lower turnover than the average for companies in the hospitality industry. There are lots of us who have been there for 10 years or more. While some people do come and go quickly there are many others like me that are who have been there for years and are really happy - I love working there. You get to do great things and help people with once in a lifetime events. There is a great core team of people who have been there for a long time and are willing to help you learn and grow. After reading some of the other reviews both pro and con, I can tell you that I believe that the negative reviews were from short-timers, people who lasted only a few weeks to barely a year. Those of us who have been with the company for a while love what we do and feel that we are treated very well. The ones who aren't happy are the people who give the events industry a try because it sounds easy and fun and then are surprised when they learn that, sure it's fun, but it's also really intense, you can't screw up with people's once in a lifetime events and that can be stressful if you're not super organized and committed to getting it right. It is a great place to work if you truly want to make a difference in people's lives. It is not the kind of place where you can coast and hide lackluster skills or effort. What we do there is important, at least those of us that love it think so. As for management, I think they are really dedicated and try to do their best for the employees and the customers. The owner, Kevin St John works incredibly hard. I know first-hand how committed he is to helping his employees succeed. He's done a lot for me over the years - he's helped me personally when I was in a tough situation with my family and he went way beyond what I ever thought a boss would do for an employee. I have nothing but the greatest respect for him personally and professionally. He's honest, straightforward and truly cares about his employees.

Cons

This is not the industry for everyone and not everyone joins the team with the same work ethic and values. Events can be stressful and you have to feel good about helping people - if it's all about you.... you won't be successful there.

avatar
The Howard Group Response
6y
We are always excited to hear that the company's efforts are well received. Thank you for taking the time to post your review.
5.0
May 7, 2019

A Great Place to spend my day

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have never written a review like this before, but I am writing now because I believe what the two people below posted was dishonest and motivated by personal spite. I have worked at The Howard Group and called it home for the last 19 years. As the full charge bookkeeper, I have been in a position to observe the behavior of the company and its owner for many years. I have always been treated with the utmost respect and I know firsthand about the successes of our employees as well as the issues that can lead to terminations. I recognized right away, the two reviews below based upon the unusual circumstances they described in their posts. In both cases they were very short-term employees; one did not even make it through her 90-day probationary period and the other left after just under 4 months to go on a 30-day European vacation and was surprised that he would not be able to continue as an employee. Both of them had longstanding significant issues that they knew would prevent them from being able to do their job and in their first 90 days there were multiple weeks where they simply didn’t show up to the office for more than 20 - 30 hours. As far as their personal attacks made against the owner, they are simply not true. I saw how he treated them both and he was more than fair to them both. I have worked here for 19 year and I have seen him bend over backward to help employees both personally and professionally. For me personally he was wonderful. When my mother who was living with me began to have serious health problems, Kevin came to me with the option of working from home to better care for her. He understood how important this was to me and for over a year, he provided me with a wonderful gift of spending this time with my mother until she passed. Over the years, I have seen him help employees with personal loans, medical payments, debt forgiveness and even legal issues. We have over 300 full and part-time employees and I believe he has always tried to look after them with a great deal of care and understanding. We are an event planning company, a lot of seasonal work. Many employees come back year after year to work with us because of how they are treated here and the work they get to do. Some people might think that I am biased, after all 19 years is a long time, but this not just my opinion: The Howard Group and Kevin have received multiple awards over the years, and the one that speaks best about how employees are really treated is the Better Business Bureau’s: Small Business of the Year. This award is given out to only one Washington business each year, and honors their commitment to ethics, integrity and building trust. Kevin and The Howard Group have received this award not once, but twice. I believe they do things the right way here, I found that they treat people fairly, and they are honest to a fault. That doesn’t mean the company is the perfect place for everyone, and it doesn’t mean they always find and hire the perfect employee. But this is a great place to work for honest, dedicated, and fun-loving people who want to make a difference.

Cons

No break room for the employees

Viewing 7 - 9 of 18 Reviews

Glassdoor has 21 The Howard Group reviews submitted anonymously by The Howard Group employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if The Howard Group is right for you.