URS Reviews

Pros

Group discounts for employees (e.g., insurance, mobile service, etc.)

Cons

Salary adjustments don't cover COLA
No bonuses
Oppressive work schedule/demands
ZERO recognition that life exists outside of the office
Little to no recognition of effort (in fact, others take the credit)
Mid-year and year-end reviews are effectively a waste of time (the results aren't considered)
Senior management has no clue how to manage PEOPLE
As a publicly-traded company, all that matters is the bottom line
Employee satisfaction/retention doesn't matter

Advice to Senior Management

See the list of "cons" and start addressing those issues

Pros

There is some highly talented colleagues at URS (formerly WGI).

Cons

Once WGI was purchased by URS, it has felt more beauracratic. Also, their approach to contracts is extremely conservative, so work tends to be slow at times. Some of the senior management (execs as well) are not quality people - they are ful of themselves and not easy to get along with. The structure of the organization needs to be reworked, and some of the exec positions need to be elimintaed in order to enhance communication.

Advice to Senior Management

Deliver on your words

Pros

large company size
good selection of job openings

Cons

large size makes this fall into corporate america

Pros

Good peers and co-workers (local office only)
Flexible hours
Company has a lot of industry knowledge which is good to learn from

Cons

Incompetent senior management.
Billable, billable, billable....etc.
Too much office politics and infighting.
More focus on profits then employees.
This is large company and you are just a number in the system so don't expect anyone to notice any achievements.
There is a form (usually two) for anything and everything.
Ther are way too many software systems i.e. Timesheets-Basware, Expense Reports-Concur, Invoices-Basware, Project Tracking-PIMS, PM and Cost Tracking-Enterprise 1........ridiculous.
Enterprise 1 is a great software program if you are an accountant.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a clue, the ship is sinking

Pros

smaller, local offices can give you still a family-type feel, but large company can help with stability if one department or another is experiencing slow periods.

Cons

Corporate environment is profit-driven; you have to keep going 110% all the time- there is always another person wanting to get your spot.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to staff in each location- issues in one office may not be the same as in another office, but it doesn't make the issue any less important.

Pros

Smart people, challenging assignments, flexibility, leadership

Cons

very large - lack of standardization

Advice to Senior Management

Improve employee communications - sell the company to the employees and they will sell it to the customers.

Pros

URS makes every effort to hire the best-of-the-best. Diversity is well-supported.
Employee development resources are available and self-initiative is expected for career development & promotion. Performance review process is self-driven.
Working here provides excellent experience working on mega-structures.
Team environment is used on projects.
Pro/Con - Work/Life balance and job satisfaction depends greatly on the PM's management style.
Strongly supports internships and outreach programs.

Cons

Twenty-year gap between senior experts and young college recruits (management is addressing)
Strong hierarchy within the corporate layers and disciplines
Flow of information within project teams is strictly need-to-know, and often held so tightly as to result in duplication and productivity issues.
Employee development mentoring is only available for selected top-performers.
Top management doesn't want you to know that Six Sigma is used here.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to support PMI prep and certification company-wide, not just for PMs. Improve development of team management skills with the PMs. Need more cross-functional communication to improve productivity, efficiency & effectiveness. Staff working on various projects need better communication with project teams.

Pros

The managers don't care enough about your work, so leaves you a lot of time to wonder around.

Cons

this place is not much in career growth

Advice to Senior Management

Would be great if they took yearly evaluations seriously.

Pros

Supportative management
Good work-life balance
Professionalism of co-workers

Cons

After initial growth, very hard to continue professional development

Pros

Large network of resources to draw from; Access to information through employee web site; Processes and procedures are clearly defined.

Cons

Large company with a one size fits all approach.