Consultant - Government Consulting Group
Pros
Opportunity to pursue PMI certifications. Travel bonuses for heavy travel schedules. Employee gifts such as fleece jackets and laptop cases received a couple times a year.
Cons
BerryDunn was a good company to work for but the company grew quickly and managerial promotions were based on subject matter expertise without any consideration for leadership skills and professionalism. Promotions of a few to key management positions created a very unpleasant culture where an individual's importance is based on personal relationships outside the office with management and client staff. Contributions to the project or excellent work relationships with the clients are irrelevant. Management has developed an "in crowd" with a select few that has ruined any healthy teamwork environment. "In crowd" staff receives inexcusable preferential treatment that includes perks that are not permitted for other staff. Examples are: choosing their work hours instead of being in office during business hours, working from home when they wish and having hours of unaccounted time claimed as attending client meetings they were not present for. Client over-billing for non-working "meetings" between staff and client friends is grossly common. Management encourages this behavior by leading it or allowing less-experienced consultants to vie for the opportunity to be the managers' pet by bad-mouthing those management does not like, by stealing ideas or by outright ridiculing other staff on a personal level. This has impacted the collaborative work style that is needed on a large-scale project team. The unchecked egos make the 50+ hour work weeks longer. Work/Life balance is non-existent. Regardless of the performance review meetings held twice a year, it is unclear why some staff receive promotions and raises and others do not. Management will say that promotions and salary increases will need to wait until July, but "in crowd" staff will receive promotions and increases outside of this period. Human resources performs under the guidance of management. Serious issues are ignored while slight offenses receive heavy-handed treatment if it affects a member of the "in-crowd". Considering that you will have multiple supervisors of different management levels, it is impossible to please each one and they often contradict each other It is not uncommon for a supervisor to leave you holding the bag when a higher level manager disapproves of their instructions you follow.