URS Reviews

Former Employee – worked at URS full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – One of the largest engineering companies in the world. URS has systems and procedures in place to minimize and manage risks, and does a good job at it. Workers are professional and tend to work hard, socialize little on the job, and go home exactly at quitting time. Overtime tends to be compensated, even for professional level employees.

Cons – If you want risk and excitement, this is not the place to be.

Advice to Senior Management – Hire only employees who are satisfied with slow progress, not people who are aggressive and risk-takers.

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

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

Pros – Lots of potential opportunities, if you can get in on them or at least know about them, and a good work/life balance.

Cons – A bit too big. Poor communication from senior and middle management to field employees. Tends to be somewhat bureaucratic - like working for a 'private' government. Decent benefits, though those have gone down-hill from what they used to be. Also tends to be, or at least feels like, it is everyone for themselves.

Advice to Senior Management – Communicate career opportunities and training benefits to field/off-site employees. Loosen up on the bureaucracy. There are lots of good, talented employees who would do well if they knew potential mobility options available to them.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at URS full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Starting out this was a fantastic job - really exciting and interesting project work, travel for job assign,nets is voluntary and depends on the team you are in... My group had international projects and I was all for participating on the most interesting jobs and enjoyed the travel, but others that were not interested we're not forced if they could stay billable enough at the home office.

Cons – Your experience will depend entirely upon your business line and location. URS has an archaic business model that basis profit off of geographical profit centers and then location. As such, don't expect to work with other offices unless a special connection has been forged, and don't even expect to work with other groups inside your own office. Don't expect any training or real development unless your billable job requires it. Project managers end up being people managers. Feast and famine are based upon billability, but that's the nature of consulting.

Advice to Senior Management – Provide your managers with training and be more proactive when it comes to retention of valued employees.

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

Former Employee – worked at URS full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Direct exposure to a lot of different technology.

Cons – IT Leadership is basically non-existent. No clear IT path exists and the direction, or lack of direction, depends on who is the favorite pet of the month. All managers have an ego and the group has too many chiefs who are more interested in their own Ego over getting anything done.

Advice to Senior Management – Retire and allow new blood to take over.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at URS as a contractor for more than 3 years

Pros – I would say the pros are they have tuition reimbursement available and they won't have you doing anything outside of your job description without paying you for it. I think it is a great place to work close to retirement because work in minimal. At another place you may do the job of 3 or 4 people at this one you will only do one aspect of that job.

Cons – The downside is it is very difficult to learn new things outside of your job because they won't allow you to. The company is huge with tons of opportunities but I personally don't think they prepare you for those opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management – Try to make sure each site is actually utilizing all of the wonderful practices you have in place.

– I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at URS part-time for more than a year

Pros – A lot of people to learn from

Cons – when a job is over, hard to get onto another job

Advice to Senior Management – Good management

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

Current Employee – been working at URS full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Large opportunities for career growth. competitive salary ranges.

Cons – Large size sometimes gets in the way of progress, takes too long to turn the ship.

Advice to Senior Management – More direct attention to staff members is needed.

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

Former Employee – worked at URS full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Good people to work with. Possible to work across many business units and functions.

Cons – Very risk adverse company. Wouldn't go out and bid lump sum work. Seemed focused on engineering services work versus construction.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

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

Pros – - Good pay for the position
- Benefits were good

Cons – Company leadership mostly interested in the bottom line but not very concerned about employees' morale. They seem to be struggling to get large contracts in the Dallas market, but that may be due mostly to the economy.

Advice to Senior Management – Work on developing the employees and be open to smaller contracts until the economy turns around.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at URS full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – This was a contract position. It paid very well, well above local average.

Cons – Company would change policy to suit them, even with a union. Management did not know how to manage

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