NVR Reviews

Former Employee – worked at NVR full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – A small but advanced IT environment
Opportunities to learn new skills and technologies
Training is fully supported, financed, and encouraged by company
A big company with a small and friendly feel
Most managers are really great to work with
Compensation and Benefits are really good
Great new employee relocation policies (almost like rolling red carpet out) with company-sponsored move that includes end-to-end packing, transportation, and unload at new location; furnished guest suites for a month; back-and-forth travel sponsored for 3 months if employee still has house and family at old location; assisted sale of employee's old house;
Benefits include good stock ownership plan and home ownership discount if buying from them
Overall - really great environment, colleagues, leaders, and managers to work with

Cons – 401k plan could be better
IT department needs more funding to expand and grow
"Promoting from within" though claimed but not really implemented because of small size of IT deptt and not many growth opportunities
The current real-estate and home-building scenario is affecting their growth plans and probably not such a great company to work for right now in terms of security
Layoffs occured annually from 2006 - 2008 - however their exit plan is really great. Their severance package is great and includes free 3-month outplacement counselling for job search

Advice to Senior Management – Hope you still have the great policies you had back in 2006 - 2008. Never let go of those policies. I will let you think about what is best for your company given the current situation in the industry. Good Luck.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at NVR full-time

Pros – Location is pretty convenient (right off of Route 50 and I-66). Free parking.

Cons – I don't think there was a single week that went by in which the rules didn't change. The worst part is that the rules aren't always official, and when those in charge decide it's time to change them again, you aren't kept in the loop until something goes wrong and they need someone to blame. There's also no appreciation shown for hard workers. Those that scrape by get by on the backs of the hard workers.

Advice to Senior Management – There should be more communication between departments, and within departments. Also, rules are only made from the top down without actually consulting with those people whom it affects or who deal with the details on a daily basis. The extremely high turnover rate (approximately 33% in the mortgage division) should tell you something is not right.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at NVR full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Above average salary, good systems. Good training programs.

Cons – Poor corporate culture, work - life balance is very poor, do not value individual employees. With up turn in the industry have noticed that many employees are leaving due to being burned out and micro managing style. Everything is about the data and the numbers even if that means stepping over an employee or customer.

Advice to Senior Management – Value the individuals within your company, your people are the most important asset you have. All managers above the divisional level make decisions based on fear and what they think the manager above them wants to hear, not what they know to be right.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at NVR full-time for more than a year

Pros – Awesome people to work with. Laid back enviroment. Great growth potential if you want to move up and do well in a company.

Cons – Can be very stressful. High pipelines

Advice to Senior Management – Better training for new employees

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

Current Employee – been working at NVR

Pros – Decent salary for job title.

Cons – No growth opportunities in the area

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at NVR

Pros – Laid back work environment. nice location

Cons – Salary increases are terrible, there is no growth. Management is not very good. No need for middle management.

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to the people who do the work.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at NVR

Pros – Discounts if buying a home. Great insight in to construction practices, processes and pitfalls. Lots of talented people, lots of people in general and lots of energy at first. Nice offices, nice staff, nice bosses - lots of nice. Allowed to be independent, follow true best course and encouraged to be honest, straightforward and ethical.

Cons – But... pay stinks comparably, way over-worked, high stress, good ideas quashed if it might upset the status quo or the builder, only way to earn enough money to live was to fight with fellow employees for loans, or find ways to get loans done even if they maybe should not get done. Builder ruled the world, even though they poisened it in the first place by forcing things through rather than stepping back and considering the best possible outcome. Only cared about their desired outcome.

Advice to Senior Management – Laying off your most talented people might be the way to end debates, questions and discussions within the offices when bad ideas were put in to practice, but it is destroys customer service and leaves you with the workers who just do the job and don't go the extra mile. Originality and capability should be rewarded, not punished.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at NVR

Pros – Well managed company with detailed systems and processes.

Cons – Senior Leaders manage from Ivory Towers

Advice to Senior Management – Go back to basics and become the homebuilder you were.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at NVR

Pros – Solid company with a great balance sheet. A real industry leader in business practices.

Cons – Consolidated power in Reston. Very little leeway for operations managers to make the right decision. Many recent decisions were based upon the impact to the stock price and analyst perception, and not necessarily for the good of the company. The culture that made NVHomes special has eroded over the past years, it has turned from a homebuilder to a money making machine, no different from other Fortune 500 companies except for there is little focus on employee morale and well being. The pay scale is under industry averages.

Advice to Senior Management – The bottom line is not the only line. Employee morale is dictated by positive and consistent information flow from senior management. Unfortunately when times got tough a CFO to CEO consolidated power and took all of the decision making away from the operation centers. Treating people like luxuries instead of necessities tears down the culture that made NVHomes special.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at NVR

Pros – NVR is a leader in the homebuilding industry and has buying power that other builders don't. In many markets, they are the big fish in a small pond. They have an excellent team of engineers and have some of the best floorplans around with the best quality. They offered great training and opportunities for advancement.

Cons – In some positions there is not great work life balance. It may be difficult to be promoted from within.

Advice to Senior Management – Find a way to show your employees that you value their time. Giving them a better work/life balance would improve their enjoyment of their jobs and in turn they will work harder for you.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend