Pros
- 9/9/9/9/4 work week schedule allows for some flexibility and longer weekends. - While working long hours is also a con, 46+ hour work weeks allow analysts to gain experience ahead of peers at other firms. - Benefits are good and cost very little for the employee. - Profit-sharing is generous.
Cons
- Work/life balance is not achievable due to utilization goals and company culture. - Utilization goals are extremely high for all employees, particularly for younger staff. Since training, marketing, federal holidays, and paid time off all count against UT, employees have to "make up" any time they take off in order to reach their UT goals. This system discourages employees from taking the paid time off that they earn and from attending training/professional development events. - KH is meticulous about forecasting workload months out and on a weekly basis as well. However, employees are routinely forecasting 50-60 hour work weeks and nothing is done to rectify that. The expectation is that staff will cancel their outside plans and give up their free time in order to meet deadlines that their PMs set. - Overtime is essentially required in order to reach the recommended 115% effort (46 hours per week = 6 extra hours per week, 24 per month, 288 per year minimum). Despite this expectation, employees are not compensated for their extra time. - Staff are repeatedly drowned in the KHool-aid that "all consulting firms are like this, but at Kimley-Horn is transparent about it." From experience, this is not the case; other firms have managed to remain profitable while allowing their employees to have lives outside of the office as well.