Powerlessness and the Stockholm syndrome - Manager Exponent Employee Review

2.0
Nov 1, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Intelligent colleagues from privileged backgrounds, dominant brand and size.

Cons

Hubris and elitism. A select few are groomed because of their "consulting skills" (read: those who look and speak like attorneys), not necessarily their technical acumen (flunked qualifiers, terrible writing and interpersonal skills be damned - you might even make VP). If you are not picked early to be part of the A group in a large office - your chances of success are slim to none. You are more powerless than you realize. Your dreams, aspirations, contributions, mental wellbeing, morale, sincerity and enthusiasm have shrunk to a single row in a spreadsheet that management uses to divine "the story behind the numbers". For a company that preaches the scientific method, employee assessments are based, not on personal knowledge through direct interaction and observations (no time for that when one is killing himself/herself for a bonus with a near 100% UT), but the word of a dominant anointed oracle or two. Speaking up about this just makes management mad and retaliate. I chose the only path I had remaining - to leave. Ask - why is a company headquartered in a place as diverse as the San Francisco Bay area for over half a century - so predominantly white and male? (Currently there is a scramble to promote white women - so you may be in luck).

Explore other reviews about Exponent

5.0
Mar 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits and great culture

Cons

Inconsistent workload but partly due to the nature of the business

2
2.0
May 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Diverse work, intelligent and ambitious colleagues, above average compensation package for newly minted PhDs. Giving 2 stars simply because of these perks.

Cons

Extremely poor work/life balance, high pressure on billable hours/utilization, cutthroat/burn-and-churn culture, weak management, poor mentorship opportunities (didn't feel inspired by many leaders), sink-or-swim onboarding (I think this has changed a little since I left), ton of gatekeeping around promotions, and worst of all.... there's very little humanity present in the culture. Almost everyone I knew didn't fundamentally feel as if their office, practice, and/or manager cared about them as a human. Bad managers get promoted so long as they're revenue generating. I would not recommend this company to be a person's first choice.

2
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