Proceed with Caution - Architect CannonDesign Employee Review

Cannon Design continues to deny responsibility for the actions leading to the $12 million fine paid to settle the Criminal Enforcement Agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, for remediation of the Company’s criminal conduct in the Department of Veterans Affairs scandal. It’s false that the conduct was “isolated to one former employee.” The Agreement (publicly published and available online) makes it clear that scores of other officers of the corporation were involved in the greedy criminal conduct and avarice resulting in devastating financial loss and a huge number of layoffs. Cannon Design agreed to a $12 million fine to avoid further criminal prosecution, for which there was ample evidence. Cannon Design states “the issues with the federal government are behind us.” The $12 million criminal fine payment schedule extends into January 2022, unless it has been paid off early. Former Cannon Design employees have suffered not only job loss but pennies-on-the-dollar payouts of their devalued stock, much of it purchased from individual payroll. Although there’s a new CEO, most of the officers of the corporation involved in the criminal conduct are still fully ensconced in the company. Financial woes and mismanagement predates the problems created by the federal criminal conduct. Cannon Design made no 401k contributions, gave no raises, awarded few promotions, or paid no bonuses for years to hardworking employees who worked thousands of hours of unpaid overtime to ensure project completion and ensure company profits, with which leadership lined their pockets in self-interest. Sure, it’s an employee-owned company, but that’s of no consequence unless you are a higher positioned “officer.” Cannon Design remains an old-boys club. The company makes token attempts at diversity but falls woefully short in hiring and engaging women, minorities, and LGBTQ staff and leadership. Dividing walls are fully in place. Cannon Design openly practices employee ageism. It’s no secret that the management philosophy is to hire younger personnel, purportedly under the guise of youthful exuberance and encouraging fresh ideas. It’s really to lower the payroll average and keep the company from being “top-heavy.” Self-righteous designers and self-anointed, clueless blow-hole leadership ensures mediocre project design and an aura of short-sighted and tone-deaf project execution. Cannon Design is a revolving door. Yes, the company does hire many talented and earnest people; it just doesn’t have a clue about how to engage, support, and keep them. Hundreds of layoffs and staff departures have greatly lowered the average tenure. It becomes abundantly clear to staff that staying with this organization will ultimately lead nowhere. Your years of hard work and devotion will not be acknowledged or rewarded. Cannon Design employs the management practice of replying to each review and encouraging employees to positively review the company, in a PR attempt to placate and stem negative comments. Carefully consider the replies with a grain of salt, and fully research the company before deciding to join.