SRA International Reviews in Fairfax, VA

Former Employee – worked at SRA International full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – SRA was a leader with a recognizable name in the federal government systems integrator space. It still has the name recognition so current employees can use that in pursuing their next opportunity.

Cons – The company's acquisition by a venture capital firm (Provident Equity Partners) has compelled executive leadership to compromise the honest and integrity that once made the company great. The company's leave plan has been reduced significantly. Leave have been taken away from the more tenured employees. Severance plan was reduced significantly. Internal Mobility is ineffective. There has been a 3 year drought in winning large proposals and a trend in losing major contracts re-competes. There is an urgency to meet investors revenue goals that has placed pressure on employees at the project level as everyone is being asked to do more with less. This environment is a pressure cooker with little employee engagement or incentive beyond a paycheck.

Advice to Senior Management – Upper management has communicated the state of the company and its vision however on the ground at the project level the message is we've reduced or have taken away benefits, but it's this way with our competitors too so work hard and be glad in this economy you still have a job. There has to be a better message to get the buy in from employees to perform at a higher level.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at SRA International full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – I like the people I work with

Cons – The company says it strives to be a "best place to work" but all of the HR actions they are taking proves otherwise. We are clearly driven by the bottom line, screw the employees.

Advice to Senior Management – With all the employees having to give up old time benefits, like the nice health care plan, the on-site nurses, and the formerly industry-standard PTO plan, why don't you chip in some of your excessive bonuses so you can feel the pain like the rest of the staff? You preach Honesty & Service, but why don't you live up to? Talk is cheap, much like your actions.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at SRA International full-time for more than a year

Pros – Decent (not top-line) benefits
Company very client-focused
Recently there is more focus on building business

Cons – "Honesty and Service" logo needs to be just "Service". Honesty and open communications with upper management is no longer valued, at least in HR.
Preferential treatment regardless of performance.
Culture of collaboration has been lost.

Advice to Senior Management – SRA used to have a reputation for dealing fairly with its employees. Due to contract losses, pay reductions on recompetes are becoming more commonplace. Even if the recompete is won, staff are leaving for other jobs to regain their prior salaries. On the administrative side, staff reductions plus increased workloads are putting inordinate pressure on remaining staff to get work done. We are losing good people as a result. Don't have the answer, just know it's no longer an enjoyable work atmosphere.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at SRA International full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Still some hardcore SRA'ers left in the company that motivate the younger generations

Cons – Limited career paths - remaining billable is the only option and that can be difficult without any bench time betweenprojects

Advice to Senior Management – Help middle management to understand the difference between business capture and project execution

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at SRA International

Pros – If you are primarily concerned with finding "project work", there is plenty to go around. They will find your butt a seat to sit in if they can.

Cons – This isn't a place where many people get ahead or even share in the success of the company. Don't expect to make a career here -- very few do.

Advice to Senior Management – Put your people first -- always.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at SRA International

Pros – Good health benefits for most part, however it may fade away with time. Some projects allows work from home option for at least two days a week

Cons – Management heavy company with a Gov like bureaucracy structure. Employees joining from client projects to corporate are usually asked to take a pay cut. Most managers are fit for nothing except a few notable here and there. Usually employees are laid off with 2 weeks notice unless you are a chum of a management protege. Poor HR, recruiting and internal placement services.

Advice to Senior Management – Get back to basics.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at SRA International

Pros – Stable Work
Good Benefits
Some Really Talented Smart People

Cons – Management cares about $$$$ only
Lower Compensation
They Don't Invest In Your Future Once In The Door

Advice to Senior Management – Stop focusing on gross margins and dollars. Your people are leaving because compensation is low and the managers on project sites aren't listening to their employees needs. If the company can turn back time to the leadership style of 10+ years ago, the company would be successful again.

Former Employee – worked at SRA International

Pros – Pay and benefits were good or better than other similar companies. Healthcare was paid for and other misc. benefits were available.

(Although my viewpoint is from a division whose pay and benefits were uniquely administered within SRA.)

Cons – SRA's inefficient stove-pipes are compounded by the diverse business domains it has entered through acquisition. Also, SRA seems to be devoid of a strategic focus, instead its focus was upon tactical business plans that looked good in communicating the "state of the business" to upper management (and the hapless troops). In reality, they were not much more than wishful thinking.

I was often embarrassed with the lack of engineering acumen in its project execution and also its support of business development (BD) activity. Relative to the latter, resources, especially "experts" (whose groups would benefit from the BD activity) were "unavailable" to support BD. Also, if an actual prototype required development, SRA's Lab facilities were non-existent; one had to beg for support from suppliers with whom SRA was partnering.

Advice to Senior Management – 1. Return to the values originally promulgated by its owner (now Chairman).
2. Create a holistic strategic vision, communicate and execute. (You'll never be successful trying to be "all things to all people".)

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at SRA International

Pros – Short commute. If you need a job and this is all you can get, then take it. And keep sending out resuumes until you find another better job. To be fair, I did meet good people but many of them left around the time I did. SRA attracts good people but can not keep them. Shame.

Cons – Old boy network still alive and well. Must be "part of the club" whether or not you have any skills, experience, loyalty, or value. Poor morale in some areas of the company esp. those not at HQ. No real training unless YOU go get it. No real career path for anyone. Senior management doesn't know WHAT or WHO SRA is. They keep buying and merging with other companies and there is no real strategic plan for the years ahead. People still caught up with one on on the clock and the other on the SRX stock price (thought that would get old, but nope). NO real loyalty back to employees - they mouth it but it is NOT true. Advice to those working at SRA: only give SRA what they pay for don't give more and expect loyalty when you need it. Serious turn-over of the young hires and the really good professionals to other better contracting firms. Seems that only the slugs stick around and that's because they couldn't get a better job. SRA is a mess right now and that is reflected in the lack of employee stability and morale. Management is only concerned with the stock prices - and only the stock prices. They only people with a balanced work/life were those that didn't do their jobs and dumped them on those that really worked. Hence, people like me (an idiot) worked overtime almost every week to get the job done and the deliverables out the door on time. Much happier at a first/second tier company like SAIC. SRA is mid or third tier and will stay that way if it continues to exist.

Advice to Senior Management – Eye OFF the stock price. Find a new CEO. Tell the truth and don't fake everything - we find out eventually and then leave.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at SRA International

Pros – Still the best technical talent for public sector work. You will be challenged to excel, and you will support vital missions that matter.

Cons – HQ-centric recognition and promotion depresses morale, imperfect acquisition integration increases attrition from new firms.

Advice to Senior Management – Return to organic growth, emphasize technical excellence for repeat business. Focus on numbers/margins at the expense of growing people is driving away good talent. Increase in product portfolio does not reflect anything other than an interest in better margins. Not our core competence! Some work here as part of serving important missions - a strategic vision that only references revenue, margin and year omits people. The omission sends a powerful message.