SRA International Reviews

Pros

It is a big Company and offers decent pay and benefits. All the long-term employees said it was better in the past. but I found it to be another beltway bandit.

Cons

Minimal training. They expect you to offer complex IT solutions with junior level computer based training. They do offer the standard college reimbursement towards a degree. I know SRA employees were getting good training but it depended on your project and manager. I got stock with the short end of the stick. After three years, I was losing my skill set and my DOD clearance eligibility and had to leave the company.

Advice to Senior Management

I guess I had a bad manager on a off-site contract. I found HR very informal and always referring to the portal for complex questions. Recruiters were okay - but review your offer letter carefully.

Pros

If you are primarily concerned with finding "project work", there is plenty to go around. They will find your butt a seat to sit in if they can.

Cons

This isn't a place where many people get ahead or even share in the success of the company. Don't expect to make a career here -- very few do.

Advice to Senior Management

Put your people first -- always.

Pros

A little less paint by numbers than some of the really big consulting firms, and a few people who actually get some work done.

Cons

Not as aggressive on growing and getting contracts as some of the big boys. Some leadership confusion about where to go next in the market.

Advice to Senior Management

Get some marketing and BD people with a little vision, learn to leverage what we have better.

Pros

Corporate has some good health programs.

Cons

If you are in one of the extended offices, you have no communication with corporate and it seems like you don't really work for SRA.

Pros

1. Pay/benefits are ok. Benefits especially seem to be eroding every year
2. You can bet on a re-org every year ( to better align this with that and stuff)

Cons

1. Inadequate/non-existent communication at every level
2. No vision, focus, direction to the future (unless it's a change to one of the many RED TAPE machines)
3. Completely non-technical people directly in charge of technical projects (think you're great-grandparents managing your project)
4. All groups use the same processes regardless of whether it works for that group or not
5. Small groups are completely ignored and stretched to the maximum.
6. Failures are always at the lowest point (except around re-org time when the high up's are shuffled like dominoes)
7. Sales model consists of some out of touch old timer with no technical background sitting around waiting for someone to call, and then says he can do it for $1K (really this is not a joke)
8. Overly broad IT policies that solve little and create roadblocks to getting the job done

Advice to Senior Management

1. Make something happen at all levels, not just you and your 4 guys.
2. Provide someway to evaluate the groups at every level with more than timesheet and PPT analysis
3. Talk to the people doing the work, and then do something about what they tell you (this doesn't mean the PM's and Directors, and slew of *VP's)
4. When corrective actions are needed and documented, PAY for them
5. Give groups their budgets from the monies they bring in, quit stealing from them and then complain when they don't meet their goals.
6. Start hiring people that know the job. Quit hiring people for their bizdev contacts and then put them in charge of managing projects they know nothing about. (Ever ask a dentist to manage an application to support a regional data sharing network?)
7. Put the power in the places where it belongs, the people doing the work, not the other VP over there because he needs something todo.
8. The "if a customers not paying, then you ain't doing" mentality is tiresome, and fosters the exact opposite of what our customers actually want.
9. This one will give me away, "Project to Product" is a valid and proven method for starting products with customer money, except NOT for 10 plus years! At some point you have to make a decision and create a vision and focus if you want to have a product. Calling something a product across the company, but continuing to sell (wait for RFP), develop (wait for customer $$), and maintain (severely discouraged as this is pure profit) with project process is NOT product, it is project. Make a decision, pay for product and sell it, or quit expecting it to be product.

Pros

SRA provides good recognition of accomplishments and routine performance reviews. They offer decent benefits packages an reimburse for travel and parking.

Cons

SRA seems to becoming too big. I feel that employees are getting lost in the system. SRA was recently purchased and there is much confusion as to what direction the company will go.

Advice to Senior Management

I feel that SRA needs to make more of an effort to keep on top of their project managers. ITIL and Elite are leveraged heavily but spot checks of project plans seem to be non-existent. a PM can get away with most anything.

Pros

SRA has an excellent benefits package compared to similar companies. The pay scale is competitive with most companies this size. The Work/Life Balance program is great as well.

Cons

Career advancement can be a challenge. Management support could be better in this effort.

Pros

Flexable work schedule, can work from home.
A degree of independence in working....no micromanagement

Cons

No work direction or career path.

Advice to Senior Management

Tighten the ship and figure out where you want to go. Bigger is not exactly better.

Pros

Good health benefits for most part, however it may fade away with time. Some projects allows work from home option for at least two days a week

Cons

Management heavy company with a Gov like bureaucracy structure. Employees joining from client projects to corporate are usually asked to take a pay cut. Most managers are fit for nothing except a few notable here and there. Usually employees are laid off with 2 weeks notice unless you are a chum of a management protege. Poor HR, recruiting and internal placement services.

Advice to Senior Management

Get back to basics.

Pros

Competitive salaries, good career development and growth opportunities.

Cons

Lack of connectivity with off site employees. Company no longer stands behind its employees.