Bechtel Reviews

Pros

*Bechtel tag name.
*Opportunity to work on billion dollor projects.
*Opportunity to learn.
*Opportunity to move in any bussiness unit within organization.

Cons

*Not a very good compensation but depends on your bargain.
*Not enough training for young engineers.
*Some bechtel long timers are really arrogant but very few. Not a big deal.

Advice to Senior Management

*Try to match the compensation with the market.
*Provide better training not the one for name sake only.

Pros

Bechtel will find jobs for its top performers in other market segments in the event of a downturn. The top performers are less likely to be wait-listed.

Cons

Senior and middle level management are extremely top heavy. Gen X will be stuck at the bottom for at least another decade.

Advice to Senior Management

You should upgrade your computers. It was frustrating to work on a slow computer with outdated versions of Windows and Office.

Pros

annual profit sharing check. Company reputation

Cons

Lack of strong connection with parent company when working as a subcontractor site.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should work harder to bridge gap with relations and communications exchange with headquarters. Management should ensure that promotion systems and opportunites are fair and artificial.

Pros

Handle good performing employees with some priority in case of downturn

Cons

Lots of beuracracy
Lots of non technical work
Salary not equal to peers from other company

Advice to Senior Management

Hire some MBAs to help improve company performance and promote young personnel in management jobs

Pros

- Brand image of Bechtel
- Immense opportunity to grow within the organization
- Talented seniors
- Nice work timings

Cons

- The pay scale is somewhat less as compared with other similar organizations.
- The way layoffs were handled in 2009 was disgusting. At least, they could have informed the employees beforehand to be prepared for this situation.

Advice to Senior Management

- Prepare the work force to be multi talented so as to adapt to any situation...change departments, dont fire the employees...happy workers are productive workers!

Pros

Good benefits and work life balance. The company is passionate about safety- I've never seen anything like it.. some very impressive people work here. People here like to build stuff

Cons

Very top down approach. Innovation difficult to accomplish (though possible).Career development is poor. Atmosphere is comortable but markedly undynamic. Very slow moving company

Advice to Senior Management

Loosen up the control. Help enable people to contribute and support innovation from the ground up. Work on your communication skills.

Pros

Job security for now. Good salary.

Cons

Lack of training and development.

Advice to Senior Management

Better communications with employees and more personal growth development.

Pros

The job pays well and includes some nice benefits. Since the company is privately own it can operate in accordance to long-term goals, which is a large reason for Bechtel's success. Upper management is knowledgeable and supportive of their staff.

Cons

Sometimes the company can seem a little bureaucratic. There is set time for lunch, etc. Additionally, there is a noticeable difference in the age demographic. It seems at times this can create communication errors between the young and old.

Advice to Senior Management

This company is a great place to work and provides opportunities to work overseas. Since the company is project based the uncertainty of work availability can sometimes be stressful, but if you perform they will try their best to keep you with Bechtel.

Pros

Benefits package is comparable and in many cases better than their direct competitors.
Career advancement is possible if you can move and you are on the "list."
Bechtel has a diverse portfolio and is very risk adverse, which is good if you are looking for a conservative company to work for with lots of possible opportunities.

Cons

Bechtel is an old conservative, large and complex company, so experiences can vary greatly across the organization. Bechtel's work load is diverse and lumpy, so the stability of your career is based on your ability to move around or a willingness to sit at the house before the next project gets started. When Bechtel cuts and runs, they really do cut and run, doesn't matter what they may have told you at your appraisal review or in the staff meeting, if you aren't high up enough on the reduction in force list, which you might not know, you will get cut.

Based on what I know, if you are looking to work at Bechtel and you need an environment that is nuturing and supportive, don't work in the OG&C division, the current managers are myopic, disconnected and driven by financial results only, as most of them are the shareholders or receive financial incentives for performance which is usually geared towards making more money (aka greedy). This can even get out into the field in, although the field assignments tend to be better as the managers are in it with the workers and working to a single goal of building a plant or facility.

The functional managers are hit or miss, some of them are great leaders, some of them are just horrible, I mean they make you want to just not get out of bed in the morning.

Just watch your back, don't believe the hype, get it in writing. If you are a Generation Xer looking for career advancement, this isn't the place for you unless you are ok with waiting a while to advance your career as the baby boomers aren't going anywhere until their retirement accounts recover from recent poor performance.

Advice to Senior Management

Things aren't as bad as they have been in the past with regards to employee engagement, so keep on working the issues you are working on, wish you would expand those efforts to the middle grade pool of workers not on your hipot lists. Making sure you continue to push these efforts to the rest of the world population at Bechtel.

Hold your management at all levels to task, if they aren't taking care of your most precious resource, your people, then remove them from that role.

Pros

International assignments and opportunity to travel the world
9/80 work week

Cons

Non performers are not disciplined

Advice to Senior Management

Cut slackers from jobs