Black & Veatch Employee Reviews for Engineer

"Consider working elsewhere!!!"

What do you like about working at Black & Veatch?

"BV can offer a steady paycheck. But not much else. There a lot of very knowledgeble and friendly people in the company. However, you probably won't find them in any positions of major influence. The company is very laid back, and they can be very flexible with people's schedules. This of course will depend entirely on who you work for. BV also has a stellar industry reputation (some of it undeserved) which will always help to build up someones resume."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Go work elsewhere. BV no longer has the right to consider itself an engineering company, since nearly 100% of it's design work is outsourced to third party vendors. Very little true engineering work is done internally anymore. It is now more of a project management company, although this will be denied by anyone and everyone working there. There are also very few middle aged engineers in the company. The age spectrum is either very young (20's/early 30's) or much older (over 50). The gray haired engineers are vested and riding it out until they retire, even though most are drastically underpaid. The younger engineers were hired because they're cheap, and the company still needs employees. But the more experienced and mid-career employees are often non-existant, because they've all gone to work for better companies. Once the gray haired employees finally retire, BV will have serious issues regarding it's overall performance, since they'll no longer have the expertise to carry the company forward. This company is an old boys click, through and through. Turnover is also quite high (at least higher than at most engineering companies) since many employees are often taking jobs at the company while they wait for something better to come along. If you're fresh out of school, or at least at the beginning of your career, BV is probably a very good company to work for. They will train you, and then you can quit for a better job at one of their better paying competitors."

What don't you like about working at Black & Veatch?

"The company is completely unwilling to invest in its employees, whether it's further education or industry certifications. For the most part, employees whom already have a college degree are expected to pay for any continuing education themselves. BV is primarily an engineering company (or at least they still think they are), but they don't provide any assistance with gaining a PE license. Management and leadership at the company is also abysmal. Engineers often don't make good managers, and many managers refuse to hire people more qualified than themselves. Additionally, much of the promoting and hiring within the company is entirely based on past professional and personal relationships, rather than being based on credentials and performance. Politics rule the day at this company. And if you're not a policitian, your options are limited. Nearly all employees are intiially hired on as contractors, and despite being told contract durations will only last around 6 months before being made permanent, many employees will see their contract status extended indefinitely"

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Go away!!!! BV has serious management issues, and only tends to either promote the wrong people, or only hire insiders connected to other senior level employees at previous companies. In other words, the old problems that existed in other companies in the past continue to resurface at BV. Much of BV management relies on bullying and intimidation. In other words, a blast from the past, like something out of the tv series Mad Men."