Lcra Reviews

Pros

Everyone was really friendly and very helpful towards me and made me feel very welcome. Extensive tours of power plants!

Cons

I was somewhat disappointed with they pay as an engineering intern although I learnt a lot over the summer and made the most of it.

Advice to Senior Management

Take advice from the experienced senior engineers that have a lot of experience and have worked in previous companies and use their suggestions to go forward

Pros

work enviroment, work life balance

Cons

Lack of communication for employees

Pros

The people are the assets and the liabilities of LCRA. Putting in a fair amount of initiative can make you appear as a high achiever. Very hard to fire people, so in a way there is a high level of job security. The majority of my peers are good, nice people who fit well working for a state agency like LCRA. The family analogy is used frequently, I would agree (although there is clearly good and bad things about running a state agency like a family owned business.

Cons

The entitlement attitude of the employees is LCRA's achille's heel. Average tenure of an employee seems to be well over 10 years; thus there is a huge amount of inertia to get anything done within a reasonable time. Time is something LCRA has plenty of, so there is no hurry to do anything efficiently. If you've worked in the private sector, then moving to LCRA should make you pause; don't be fooled, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's a duck. LCRA is a state agency with all of its quirky employees who couldn't survive in the private sector and have a home serving the mission of LCRA.

Advice to Senior Management

Although change can occur in any direction (top down; bottom up), LCRA is starving for mid management leadership.

Pros

Overall a good place to work. Allowed to balance personal and work life.

Cons

Too Political. Decisions made for politics and not for employees or customers.

Advice to Senior Management

Moved up based on who they know, not how they manage

Pros

LCRA has outstanding medical benefits. They offer great retirement packages. The main headquarters are in a beautiful area of Austin - overlooking Lake Austin. A positive work experience at LCRA depends entirely on the division and your direct supervisor. Elaborate retreat centers and facilities.

Cons

Austin is a very left-leaning city with many environmental activists. LCRA is a haven for these people. If you are of a conservative Republican mindset and work for a liberal who is also an environmental wacko, you will experience a bumpy ride. As far as my experience, bad reviews and write-ups came out of thin air, often delivered by second-hand gossip. Men who work under a female supervisor have a particularly difficult time. My supervisor caused me to spiral into deep anxiety which led to numerous panic attacks. HR is a joke at LCRA!! This organization is very political, since they are the largest wholesale supplier of electricity and water in Texas. When review time for your supervisor comes up, his/her boss brings you and all the other people in his/her department for a "team review" of the supervisor. Say anything bad about your supervisor and your co-workers will take you down. On two review, our group warned the manager that our supervisor was a bully. After these "reviews" my supervisor ramped up her attacks and criticism. By the way, the LCRA is overseen by a board of directors appointed by the governor of Texas. When board meetings occur, you would think you were watching a group of holy men and women. As an employee at LCRA, if you have any contact with a board member you are to report it immediately.

Advice to Senior Management

There are too many departments and employees at LCRA. Don't allow environmental wackos to establish programs without a complete fact check. You hear positive comments about the power divisions at LCRA. WATERCO is the division with most of the problems with lots of politics and worthless programs and projects.

Pros

Extremely Friendly People
Recession-Proof Company, as people will always use electricity
Beautiful Office Plaza
Commitment to Integrity
Flexible Work Schedule

Cons

The biggest improvement I can think of is that the lunchroom could have used a TV. Since that is my biggest complaint, I obviously think this is a great place to work.

Advice to Senior Management

I think they are doing a great job. Thomas Mason is committed to running a transparent public utitlity that is free from corruption.

Pros

Good atmosphere, very safety oriented,.

Cons

As compared to other companies in the same field, overall benefits are in the lower percentile.

Advice to Senior Management

Bring the overall benefits from lower percentile to upper percentile. Don't settle for mid to lower benfits for employees.

Pros

Health and retirement benefits
Paid vacation and holdiday leave time
Location
Mission of the company
Community involvement with surrounding counties and customers

Cons

Limited career path
Beurocracy and politics limit professional growth
No recognition or reward program for top performing employees
Lack of leadership

Advice to Senior Management

Please look past personal agendas and political gains for the wellfare of your customers and employees. This company will continue to lose great talent unless something changes and will forever be stuck in mediocracy.

Pros

-Great benefits (401K matching, tution reimbursement)
-Great location (downtown Austin, Texas)
-Solid mission and services provided (generate and transmit electricity for most of Central Texas)
- Flexible work schedule (work from home, etc)

LCRA is a great place to work if you want something long-term, easy on the mind and aren't bothered by the lack of innovation. If you are a recent grad, it's a great place to sharpen your teeth before you move up the food chain.

Cons

-Limited career path
-Poor customer communication
-Misguided management

LCRA seems to suffer from a "tail wagging the dog" syndrome. It's 43 wholesale customers are rarely on the same page about future generation needs, current spending, or really anything for that matter. Some of this is due to the spectrum of customers served - from small munis to the largest coop in the country - but most seems to stem from poor communication from upper managment. Much could be accomplished if the team could be united.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want to progress as an organization - take a close look at how employees are treated and what opportunities for advancement exist. Young, talented individuals will undoubtedly start to look elsewhere once they see what lies ahead of them.

The times are changing and it would do LCRA good to step it up a notch.

Pros

LCRA has a reputation of stable employment, great benefits and impactful work while maintaining a generous amount of time to enjoy Austin outside of work.

Cons

The company is slow moving and stable by design. There are not many avenues to pursue training at the beginning of one's career.

Advice to Senior Management

Management has a strong understanding of the needs of the company and its employees.