Bechtel Reviews

Pros

They had a reputation as a global company capabl of delivering Mega projects that other compnaies could only aspire to.

Cons

The core values that were obvioulsy once held in regard to customer satisfaction, employee care, and upholding of the Company name appear to have become some what diluted in the need to make secure profit.

Advice to Senior Management

Modernise ways of working! Go back to the reported Bechtel ways of looking after Customers and Employees to enhance reputation as a company that people want to work with and for!

Pros

Good people to work with (just not the people in management)

Cons

Senior management adopt bully-boy tactics and threats to manager employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Manageme people with respect and integrity not with intimidation and threats.

Pros

- Great benefits
- International mobility
- Good starting salary (especially for new-hires out of college)
- Strong emphasis on Health Safety and Environment (HSE)

Cons

- No rotational or employee development programs
- Training is limited due to budget constraints
- Education reimbursements are very poor

Advice to Senior Management

Assist employees receive adequate external training and opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge

Pros

Flexibity of Managment and Companies position on Work , Life, Family

Cons

Growth in my specific carreer is limited. Fantastic oppotunities for Engineers

Pros

Great exit opportunities and international experience if you stay with the company and display commitment. Also lots of cross experience through different industries within the same company.

Cons

Can become "stuck" if you get placed on the wrong project for example a DOE site where your performance doesn't get displayed as well amongst your peers.

Advice to Senior Management

The leadership can be a hit or miss. Some were great while others seemed a bit over the edge. Some were content with their position, but most seemed to be on the move. Leadership seems to shuffle quite often to keep a sense of movement.

Pros

Salary is ok.
If you are not on this job in Homestead, time proven construction practices are in place to allow for learning "the craft of field engineering".

Cons

Here in Homestead, a sytem team approach is being put in place in mid-stream. It is not even set up like an area team which would work on new construction, but this is retrofit. There are not nearly enough people to perform if we stayed discipline oriented, like on most projects. (Even area teams are still discipline oriented.) To many management changes have allowed for some midlevels to inflict their damage by pushing this craziness. Too much overtime because of understaffing. And, yes, every industry needs new blood, but there the seems to be almost a total disrespect of the "seasoned" field engineering types. We are on our 3rd Project Manager, and our 4th site manager is on the way. Too many designers to count and too many good field engineers decided that this place is no place to put on your resume so they left. Actually they left for many reasons, including, minimal if any raises, bonuses that looked more like insults, reduction of per diem from over 3k mo. to 1800, too many bosses but no leadership. Management believes that a pat on the back is all it takes, may work for new puppies but not old dogs.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't pick and choose which covenants to preach down at us. Start as early as possible in staffing so that when we are stuck with new to nuclear hires we have time to train them. Staff to limit overtime to legitiment schedule issues. Pats on the back may work for the newbies, but you must trust your vets to make the correct decisions. Do not make committments that were not given or agreed upon by the Sr. FE's, AND, do not coerce those committments from them.

Pros

You have the oppurtunity to travel all around the world. Design new facility and provide support to active facilities. The company compensates you very well to travel to the different projects. If you like to travel and see the world then this is for you.

Cons

You get paid for every hour but you often have to work 50+ hrs a week to meet aggressive schedules and sometimes have long commutes to the projects.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to take time to review the employees they staff at projects especially if they are going to be interacting with the client directly. There have been a few individuals on every project that may have a solid looking resume but don't have any real knowledge and these individuals need to be weeded out.

Pros

Learning, Good 401 and match, benefits

Cons

Not many career advancement opprtunities

Advice to Senior Management

Take care of employees career advancement and development

Pros

Great compensation, Great work environment although it can be intimidating. Many wonderful people at Frederick location. I enjoy having every other friday off!

Cons

Sometimes you can feel dumb if you are not an engineer and you speak with one. They seem to think a little less of you

Pros

Decent pay, good benefits, but thats about it

Cons

There is no work/life balance... no amount of compensation offsets the ridiculous work environment

Advice to Senior Management

Let people work remote on some projects