URS Reviews

Pros

Big projects, good place to get experience in first years of the carrier.

Cons

URS is engineering firm, but it looks like that real engineers who is 100% billable and make money for the company, instead of being the most important, end up to be nobody. It is much more easier to raise salary to somebody who is 100% overhead but not for the engineers, it doesn't make any sense. No real promotions or raise in salary for people who deserve it.

Advice to Senior Management

Upper management have to recognize that the most important people in the company are engineers, and support them.

Pros

The company is good, profitable and has many opportunities. Has great benefits.

Cons

Puts unexperienced individuals in positions they should not be in. Does not listen to employees and allows retaliation to occur with no repercussions.

Advice to Senior Management

LISTEN and stop allowing corporate HR to allow people to get away with robbing the company of money and business. Put knowledgeable people in positions who care about the business and not just the pay.

Pros

Professional, decent pay, and good work environment

Cons

Typical from a large company, everyone is mostly a number in the grand scheme of things.

Pros

Excellent 401k Match (6%)
Healthcare costs were relatively low
Lots of locations nationally and internationally
A lot of good, hard-working, smart people work there, unfortunately none of them are in management

Cons

Promise you the world, then pigeon-hole you into whatever position they need to keep filled. I tried to branch out to other divisions and projects within the company, but was never supported in doing so. Management was completely out-of-touch with the employees. Even the client found them to be arrogant. They gave out a camping chair as a Christmas bonus - it was insulting.

Advice to Senior Management

Leave your office every once in a while and actually talk to people on the floor. Get to know them a bit. You catch more flies with honey...

Pros

Okay salary and benefits package.

Cons

Disorganized; consulting firm so always under the gun on a deadline and quality of work suffers; constantly changing internal requirements. Never enough hours in the day to get through task list.

Advice to Senior Management

Get organized; communicate; and build better schedules and budgets.

Pros

- If you work with a good, competent project manager, then the experience is rewarding and great.
- Senior staff is very open to consults and help
- Large office, so there is always someone who knows what you need
- Variety in projects
- Get paid overtime (straight pay), which is good for field work
- Flexible scheduling

Cons

- Experience really depends on projects that you work on. Project managers all work differently- no consistency in how project work is performed. Management styles are also inconsistent- some projects managed much better than others
- Large office- easy to get in a routine doing the same tasks everyday without change or promotion (i.e. there's always someone that needs water sampling, or someone that needs data reviewed)
- Senior management is out-of-touch with newer employees. New employees usually work with task managers, and have little interaction with senior staff.
- Training is below average, also depends on the projects.
- Employee perks (holiday party, free summer picnic) were cut in 2008, never reinstated
- No praise for work, except maybe by individual PMs
- No employee referral bonus

Advice to Senior Management

Someone should review project management and quality. This is not consistent from project to project, which makes it harder for younger staff who support multiple projects. Employees need more praise, free perks, even if it's a lunch once in a while. Employees also need company shirts (without having to buy them)- our fieldwork is a constant advertisement for our vendors and subs.

Pros

The company is competitive in the marketplace. The people I work with are highly skilled and team oriented. My management makes good business decisions that help the office be successful.

Cons

Raises have been low for three years. 401k is average at best. Not enogh investment in training. A lot of Corporate administrative workload is pushed down to the staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Do more root cause analysis of issues. Then solve the root cause. Avoid broad one-size-fits-all solutions for isolated problems that impact thousands of unrelated staff.

Pros

Good place for work, nice people. Office was great, people were great. Great benefits. Nice perks, like coffee, soda, etc.

Cons

Not much software development opportunities. It was mostly construction / engineering (civil, mechanical). So good place for them, but not as much software stuff going on in minneapolis office.

Pros

Working for URS provides the support and resources of a very large firm in the industry, which is great. Within my home URS office, we work together as a team and it has the feel of a much smaller company. Also, from the time I began at URS just a couple of years into my field of work, I was provided with opportunities to work with upper level management on important projects. Throughout my 5 years at URS, the opportunities for advancement have been plentiful. There has also been much flexibility to stay with the company and work in other roles/locations. Overall, a great field of work (environmental consulting), with competitive pay, and a great place to work.

Cons

Unfortunately, URS has been hit by the recession like many other firms, which has required some downsizing and fewer pay raises.

Pros

URS is good place to work to gain experience, build your resume, and then find another job at a company that cares about you. Coworkers are very nice and friendly. Stable if you remain >95% billable.

Cons

Large overly corporate company. More worried about buying companies than about the staff the currently have. Very high turnover rate. Basically everybody can find a better job than the one they have at URS.. even in this economy. You are a number to URS. Not your employee number which is in the hundred thousands, but your billable number. Not 95% for two weeks straight, better quickly find another job or get your unemployment papers ready. Senior management will come to the office and walk right by without saying hello or giving you a second look. Best to accept somewhere else if you have other choices of employment. Low pay and small raises.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat you employees with respect. Work with them, teach them, and show them loyalty. Advance your most talented and hardworking staff and don't just give everyone the exact same raise each year that maybe differs by 0.2%. To the URS staff, its not a career job by any means. Turn it into one by showing your staff loyalty.