Bad management, high turnover, low pay - Research Analyst ICF Employee Review

1.0
Mar 4, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They have interesting projects that center around making the world a better place to live in.

Cons

Like a lot of reviewers have said, your experience really depends on your managers. I had one in particular who was awful. They could not communicate (emails would go unanswered for weeks). Work that had been done for months would not be reviewed until the last minute. It was on you to make up the lost time which was incredibly stressful. There is a huge pressure from corporate to bill hours out yet there is not enough work to be held to such a standard of productivity. I would spend weeks begging my managers for work and none of them had any to give me. If you use too much of what they call “indirect” time to make up for this you would be docked at your annual review. Turnover in my unit was horrendous due to all of these issues. The pay is terrible for both the industry and the DC area. There are no annual bonuses. If you are considering relocating to the DMV area for this position you will not be able to make it on your salary alone. The company itself likes to claim they are up there with the top consulting firms but with better values but it’s very easy to see that they are truly driven by money and company growth. They like to boast about their DEI initiatives but the company’s leadership team are all white people.

Explore other reviews about ICF

5.0
Jun 23, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Awesome training and good benefits.

Cons

I cant think of any.

4.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful people Meaningful work Flexibility with schedule and remote work

Cons

Sub-par benefits and pay, particularly compared to other consulting roles High utilization targets for junior staff

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