HDR FAQ

Pros

The pay for environmental work as an entry level was great. Good benefits as well as PTO and allowing for flexible schedule. The office I was in had good social events especially for younger people to get to know one another.

Cons

I wish I could give this a 2.5 rating. My experience was equally negative and positive. There was very little on the job training (although this allowed me to learn a great deal of independence and learning) and my only boss in the environmental side and only coworker both left me to work the entire week alone my second week working here. There is a lot of stress on meeting your utilization goal which can be difficult in the environmental department depending on the time of year as the winter months have very little billable hours. I felt like I was always playing catch up or having to fib on my hours actually spent and then stressing about that constantly. Management was very distant and I felt alone in a lot of projects and learning with no where to bill my time to for things that should just be a given as on the job training. I made friends with a lot of the Engineers in Training and they seemed to have similar struggles but the engineering department always had much more billable time and projects backed up compared to the environmental department in my office.

Advice to Management

Train new employees, especially entry level college graduates and interns, to a point where they feel comfortable performing the work without upper management. There needs to be a better utilization system for new employees because meeting a utilization goal of >95% in the first few months (like i was assigned) is nearly impossible and causes immediate stress/anxiety that carries on with the position later down the line.

Pros

Great benefits for employees (RRSP match, good value on medical and dental benefits, option to buy company shares (DSU) that had performed very well, yearly increase per inflation, occassional bonus, many company events), winners of profitable projects, multidisciplinary company in many parts of the world.

Cons

There maybe politics sometimes but I think in any organization there will always be. Its not too bad.

Pros

Good mentorship, well connected organisation

Cons

Less paid leave initially, low parental leave.

Pros

Good 401k benefits, health insurance, wellness programs, good projects and very strong business planning year after year.

Cons

Can be pigeon-holed into one specialty, not a lot of cross disciplinary opportunities for one employee because there are always other people who do other stuff better, no sick leave

Pros

Great downtown location, benefits are on par with industry standard with cost sharing medical benefits, employee ownership options within 401K, lots of programs for employees to participate in (Young Professionals, Mentorship Program, etc.), large company with ability to transfer if supervisor approves

Cons

Office culture is cutthroat, poor communication from management, high cost for parking, no room for advancement due to existing office politics, management lacks ability to be forthright and honest, peers are looking to undercut each other for advancement, will not easily or quickly accommodate needs of employees regarding disabilities/medical needs (such as standing desks, chairs, etc.).

Advice to Management

Be honest to your employees when they approach you.