Pros
The firm has a long and successful history in Seattle as a small business, always women owned. It has stood for high quality, integrity, and really good client service. A lot of people got their start at EI and received excellent training. Wages were average but benefits have always been a little better. Many projects have high visibility in the community and the issues are complex and interesting. If you like variety in your day, the work and clients will hold your interest. The internal IT and accounting staff are incredibly competent and supportive. BIPOC staff have a tight-knit community. Hiring outside equity facilitators to support internal teams has been expensive but a largely positive investment.
Cons
The new management team has done a 180 from two years ago and they are over their heads. Most have limited or unrelated work experience outside of EI so their perspective and leadership skills are very limited.There was equity work to do two years ago for sure AND that could have happened without losing focus on projects, innovation, or how to do great community engagement. It’s disappointing this team can only do one thing and that’s mix up a toxic cocktail of victimhood, cult-like declarations, and serve it up as white fragility. Every freakin day. If you’re not part of the in-crowd, trust no one. Beware of the cancel culture. In the name of equity, firm leadership has stripped away all financial incentives for senior staff to stay on. More than 15 senior associates have left in two years. Clients are noticing and asking questions because EI had once been known for keeping people a long time. The firm has pulled out of major contracts with clients they believe are harmful to some (not all) staff which threatens the financial forecast and the company’s reputation. All it takes these days for EI to walk away from paying clients is for one associate to complain that getting emails after 5pm is harmful, they don’t feel heard, or aren’t getting enough”magic” in their day-to-day lives. Give me a break. Public service projects are 24/7, they serve the public (not you) and lane widenings ain’t magic. Within two years, this company will be 50% smaller. The days of bonuses, profit sharing and 401k matching are over. Might want to be truthful about that on the website. Other public involvement firms will take the lion share of large construction projects and EI will pursue projects focused on equity. Even a couple of the leadership folks who know better will leave, and the company will likely move away from profitability and toward a non-profit or employee-owned model where those still standing can revel in their righteousness.