Douglas Emmett Employee Review

Current Employee – been working at Douglas Emmett full-time for less than a year

Pros – Large company with a never ending flow of work. There will always be work for you to do, so you will never really feel that your job is in jeopardy because of the lack of work. There are some good, honest, hardworking people here. The ideal candidate would be an interior designer, because it is a lot about selecting finishes and preparing signage.

Cons – It is very corporate and you have to be extra cautious in everything you do. Too many meetings, emails and miscellaneous items that prevent you from doing actual work. The position is extremely demanding and the pay is very minimal (unless negotiated aggressively upfront). They want to quantify your results, such as, did you complete your project on time and within budget. These are the two most important aspects. The numbers never tell the story of all the associated problems with a certain project, but they are quick to blame for not producing a project under budget (w/ 10% savings) and on schedule. If you are an exempt employee, this position will demand a lot of your personal time. The director and the other project manager have a prior work relationship, so if you do crack their clique you may feel like an outcast. It is difficult to make design decisions because it needs to be approved first by the director and on bigger decisions it needs to be approved by the Upper Management Group. This obviously adds to delays on getting things done on time.

Advice to Senior Management – Give proper training or guidance to candidates on projects with little or no familiarity. Positive reinforcement and support during the span of employment. Limit the micro management. And show that you actually care for the well being of your employees.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend