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33 reviews

Black & Veatch Employer Reviews

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Worst place I have ever worked.
Accountant (Former Employee), Overland Park, KS – June 18, 2013
Pros: nothing
Cons: everything
There is little to no direction on everything, lack of system trainings, and management is terrible and absent from work regularly. Co-workers are nice but rightfully stressed, turn over rate is by far the worst I've seen in all my years working at different companies. Individuals who is good at what they do, will leave at the first chance they get – more... to work elsewhere and new employees rarely last through the first 6 months because management is just that horrible (no clear guidance, managerial skills, and leadership). Management takes no fault in their own mess ups and are the first to put the blame on the little guys and fire them. Work is provided with no clear direction or guidance. Run, do not walk away from this company. You will regret working for this company. – less
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Run!
Recruiter (Current Employee), Atlanta – May 29, 2013
Pros: friendly employees, wages, environment
Cons: management, workload, office is ugly, lack of direction, no vision, nor tools provided to do work that's needed, stress level
Black & Veatch (Overland Contracting) has lots of solid people working within the organization but everyone is way overworked, underpaid, no clear vision, nor are the plans in place to get to where they need to be. Each function could add at least 4 other people for the workload they currently have and wonder why people are stressed or miss things.

Not – more... for the creative, think outside of the box employees. New ideas are squashed and what makes it worse is the mother ship, Black & Veatch who uses old systems, old ways of thinking about problems and doesn't allow for creativity in solving problems or processes.

Not the place for the faint of heart!!! – less
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the worst company to work for
Project Engineer (Former Employee), CA – May 23, 2013
the worst company to work for, the management have no knowledge about their fields.
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Worked for Black & Veatch as a non-employee.
Contract Position (Former Employee), Burr Ridge, IL – May 10, 2013
Pros: learning new skills; computer programs.
Cons: temporary position so there were no benefits.
A typical day at work was sitting in front of a computer and pulling legal documents from several different databases owned by the client contracted with Black & Veatch. Then saving and renaming all pertinent information in a separate database for the client's legal department to review.
I learned about leases, subleases, engineering documentation as – more... well as state and federal regulatory protocol.
The hardest part of this job was learning the computer programs but after the first week it was fine. It was easier than I thought it would be. – less
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Limited upper management support
Lead Construction Manager (Current Employee), Columbus, OH – April 23, 2013
Pros: reasonable pay / good benefits
Cons: limited support / resources from management
Typical large company, all about upper management, limited support for the back bone workers. My co-workers were a team with a common goal, "to deliver the best product possible to the client" The constant policy changes made for a lot of extra work.
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Fast pace work environment
Site Acquisition Manager (Current Employee), Englewood, Colorado – April 21, 2013
Pros: can work remote.
Black and Veatch helped me grow professionally as a Manager. Useful on-going training and one-on-one meetings with Management helps me identify quickly the areas of concern and see the success stories.
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I learned a lot and what I learned was from the best turf at Black & Veatch.
Engineering Technician 1 (Former Employee), Overland Park, KS – April 5, 2013
The job was a high pace and I was constantly learning everyday. Very accomidating with work schedule. Plenty of overtime was given and usually required. Management and co-workers were very easy to get along with.
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Horrible
Site acquisition (Former Employee), Kansas – March 28, 2013
Pros: some decent co workers who are stressed beyond belief
Cons: turn over rate, management, dysfunction, no direction, pay, benefits, in general their telecom division
Little to no direction on everything, management is terrible and absent from work regularly, co workers are decent but rightfully stressed, turn over rate is by far the worst I've seen in all my years of working for different companies. Everyone that is good at what they do leaves the first chance they get to work elsewhere, and new employees rarely – more... last through the first 6 months because management is just that terrible. Management takes no fault in their mess ups and are the first to put the blame on the little guys and then fire them. No one, even management has worked for BV telecom for more than 5 years. Run do not walk away from this company, and if they want to hire you as a contract employee I'd say no and wait for something else....you won't regret not working for this company. – less
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Bernard – April 4, 2013

There seems to be a trend to these comments for the wireless group. Natural selection is worst than karma.

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TEAM/FAMILY ORIENTED - Pillar in the Community
Administrative Assistant (Current Employee), Overland Park, KS – March 26, 2013
Pros: home and work balance, great benefits
Outstanding Company to work for. Much room for advancement opporttunities. Home and Work balance is GREAT!!! Treated as an individual and as an adult. Would recommend B&V!!!!
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Good starting point, but jump ship ASAP.
Project Facilitator (Current Employee), Overland Park KS – March 22, 2013
Pros: location, schedule
Cons: management doesn't care, no advancement, co-workers rude, etc.
Started as a contractor, took a year to be converted to perm employee. Increase was only .50, annual increase the following year, even with the best rating you can get, still only .50. But it's not even the pay that is the issue. The pay for my position was acceptable. But as many others have pointed out, the problem is with management, especially if – more... you're in the telecom department. Management does not care, they're totally disconnected from everyone below them ( the ones doing the actual work). If you have an issue with a co-worker..they won't help you. My job itself I love.But the lack of involvement and caring from management is horrible, makes you not want to even come to work! Advancement chance is zero. ( at least in telecom ). If you have a lot of work to do don't expect your manager to approve Overtime, they'll do everything within their power to make sure you never get any overtime. Exact words my manager said "I don't believe in overtime". Bottom line is, if you need a job then this place is ok to start at, but keep looking elsewhere while employed here and get out as soon as you find something else. I can't speak for any other department here other than telecom, I've heard if you get into any other department it's completely different. So stay away from telecom at Black and Veatch or if you accept a position in telecom be sure to keep looking! Be prepared to have some backstabbing, gossiping, rude co workers too...Been here over 2 years...time for me to move on ASAP! – less
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Bernard – April 4, 2013

Yes

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Worst place I've ever worked
It (Former Employee), Bloomington, MN – February 15, 2013
Pros: working with a few fun, decent people
Cons: you're a number. just do your work, and don't ask questions.
Upper Management: Greedy and Selfish
Lower Management: Nerds
Training: NONE
Fairness: NONE
Support: NONE
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Sr. Developer, Team Lead
Sr. Developer, Team Lead (Former Employee), Kansas City, MO – February 6, 2013
The primary Goal of the UPK developer is to train all the employees of B&V on various subject matters in an interactive manner rather than the conventional PowerPoint presentations and handbooks. Oracle UPK Professional is an easy-to-use and comprehensive content development, deployment, and maintenance platform for increasing project, program, and – more... user productivity – less
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Great Work Experience
Structural Design Engineer (Current Employee), Overland Park, KS – January 27, 2013
There is opportunity for career growth at Black & Veatch. I work with really good people who are enjoyable to work with.
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Hardcore but good if you are an engineer, poor if you aren't.
Technical Writer and Web Designer (Former Employee), Overland Park, KS – January 24, 2013
Pros: good benefits.
Cons: see review.
Not an engineer but run through the ringer regardless. Weird culture of all men. Co-workers were good. Management was very old school and demanding and not collegial. Job was not a fun job.
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Awfull. PERIOD
Field Construction Manager (Former Employee), LA – January 16, 2013
Pros: benefit package
Cons: extreemly poor management
What a crummy place to work. No training and terrable management.
Overland Contracting is owned by Black and Veatch. In BV's eyes, OC is the red headed step child. OC is hated by BV. Stay on unemployment, you will be better off.
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Worst of the worst
Coordinator (Former Employee), Bloomington – January 3, 2013
Pros: nothing
Cons: horrible environment, terrible corrupt management, mistreatment of employees...definitely a dictatorship
The most corrupt and unfriendly company I've ever had the misfortune of working for. You are definitely expendable with their telecom division. They use you up and spit you out with no warning. Horrible management and everyone talks badly about everyone else behind their back.
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Horrible Management
Senior Project Accountant (Current Employee), Kandahar Afghanistan – November 19, 2012
Black and Veatch management lacks focus. Being an average performers are rewarded while those who exceed quickly look for other opportunities. The company turns hard workers into paycheck players. Management will not make decisions for fear of being blamed.
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Home
Construction Project Facilitator I (Current Employee), Concord, CA – November 12, 2012
Job very friendly, fast pace and a lot to learn with great people to teach you everything
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Beware of B&V Wireless Telecom
Engineer (Former Employee), KS – November 7, 2012
Pros: not many
Cons: everything
I wouldn't go as far as saying the company is corrupt as some of the other reviews, but management is so diabolically bad that the entire company is one giant mismanaged disaster. Pay levels are generally at the bottom of any industry average, and the company provides very little incentives to stick around. No training is provided, and there are few – more... opportunities for internal advancement. The company culture is obsessed with hiring externally, and only hiring personal contacts, rather than promoting internally from within the company or vetting anyone properly. In other words, you're stuck at whatever job you get hired at, if you're even lucky enough to get hired in the first place. The only way to get promoted is to quit, work for a competitor, and wait for B&V to try and hire you back. Favoritism rules, and most of the 'leadership' shuns new ideas. They are stuck doing things the only way they know how (which hasn't worked before), and they only want to hire people they know from previous. Hence the company is stuck in the past and can't progress like most competitive companies. Their long term work is questoinable as well, as they only have one big client (AT&T), and even with that being said they still can't manage the work effectively. In time even this work will fade away, and BV Telecom will inevitably have to shrink. Only work for this company if you need a paycheck. If you already have a decent job, don't even consider working here. – less
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Bernard – April 4, 2013

My experience exactly. I think they are close to losing AT&T for performance reasons. Go ahead AT&T pull the plug on this one.

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Don't even think about working for their "WIRELESS" division!!!
Construction Manager (Former Employee), Indianapolis, IN – October 29, 2012
Pros: nothing
Cons: upper management, atmosphere, long hours no comp.
Worst decision of my life to work for their wirless division. I was sold on this place is family oriented. That is total BS. The upper management is Corrupt.Embezzling is going on and if you figure it out...your out! Along with if you are the new guy and low man on the pole you will get thrown under the buss!!! No on board training for their system – more... as well. I left a long time job for this place....Worst place ever to work upper management is "crooked". – less
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Bernard – April 4, 2013

Their turn-over rate is so high and this should cause concern to their client AT&T. There are several companies for AT&T to select from that are in this line of work and that work on their current projects, why they would select B&V is beyond me. They present as a tight knit family group and they certainly have some experienced, skilled and dedicated individuals however management operates like the judges in the movie "The Star Chamber". I know obscure reference however if you have seen the movie and you have worked there then it will make a lot of sense.

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About Black & Veatch

One of the US's largest private companies, Black & Veatch (BV) is a leading global engineering, consulting, and construction firm – Read more

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