Burns & McDonnell Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell as a contractor for less than a year

Pros – Centrally located, great daily work schedule

Cons – Some leads lack experience in design and resource management

Advice to Senior Management – Delegate.
Go to 4/10 work week.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Career growth. Just ask what you want to do and management will make it happen. The only thing stopping you is yourself.

Cons – Busy busy busy....you'll not get a second to take a breather. Compressed work schedules. Look forward to weekends to unwind.

Advice to Senior Management – Doing a great job.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Great CEO - communicates frequently with employees, easily approachable, and makes decisions in the interest of all employees.
Great company - employee ownership, profit sharing, collaborative environment.

Cons – Be prepared to work hard and have fun

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to communicate with employee-owners regularly.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Great company for top performers.

Genuine Ownership culture in a firm dedicated to building return per employee. This dedication has proven to provide those who want a professional career with rewards for their efforts.

Management is dedicated to the fundamentals of team building and leading others to success. Opportunities to lead and influence direction are available to those who want involvement.

Flat organizational structure puts responsibility and authority in the hands of the employees, minimizing management waste and allowing individuals to control their own growth and success. Great environment of collaborative top performers with room for all to excel.

Cons – Entrepreneurial environment can be to undefined for some.

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to communicate the growing opportunities within the company.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Burns & McDonnell full-time for less than a year

Pros – location, coffee, and parking spaces

Cons – pigeons, less rationale from management, travel

Advice to Senior Management – ease up with the toe pulling...

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – Because it is employee owned everyone has skin in the game and overall this improves work ethic and quality of product. The pay for performance is also a great motivator. Employee owned stock has had great returns.

Cons – Going through some growing pains. Expected to "donate" some hours and long work hours. Traveling on personal time.

Advice to Senior Management – Cut some of the fat.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – Great place if you're a department or project manager. Flexible schedule for only a few regional offices. Bonus and ESOP are a plus.

Cons – Very poor work/life balance. Only way to succeed is to work all the time and never see your family.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than a year

Pros – Very hardworking people at the low end.
Good parking.
Well recognized name on your résumé because they are a large employer in Kansas City.
Working there forces you to reevaluate your worth as a professional when looking at better opportunities elsewhere.

Cons – Overworked, ridiculous hours are the norm. No life outside of work and watch whose toes you step on if you want to move up. Everyone is spread so thin that nerves are frayed. Tremendous stress from managers with no accountability and concern for people's lives. Very low diversity. I believe they prey on people's fear of going to a smaller firm or striking out on their own, especially during a recession. Architects who do not plan on staying for life be warned - design is second to engineering. Good luck being taken seriously by a design firm after a long stint there. Robots making robots.

Advice to Senior Management – Look in the mirror and realize this is not 1985 much less the 1600s. People have lives and families. Good luck surviving the next generation of savvy geniuses who don't like ties or panty hose and believe in a work/life balance. Management here must love recessions- it's the only way they can hire people so scared they'll do anything.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – - Great people to work with
- Strong sense of ownership for employees
- Management is open and supportive

Cons – - Relatively low starting salary (but ESOP pays off for those who stick with it)
- Lack of diversity (but this is improving)

Advice to Senior Management – Make sure that entry of new talent is well-supported by more experienced engineers.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Burns & McDonnell full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Working with top-notch people
Excellent benefits with ESOP and bonuses
Large and varied projects to work on
MacCulture is great if you participate and get into it
Very diverse business strategy
Top management is excellent and knows where to steer the company

Cons – It's an engineering consulting company, expect to work hard

You can get lost in the shuffle even if you are doing a great job

Advice to Senior Management – Can we lose the ties, please.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company