Does Dawson Design Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Dawson Design Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Dawson Design Associates. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Dawson Design Associates?

87% of Dawson Design Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Dawson Design Associates 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 4.4 for career opportunities.

What are the pros of working at Dawson Design Associates according to real employee reviews?

"The opportunities are endless at DDA." ((in 4 reviews)); "The culture at DDA is fast paced, competitive and intense." ((in 3 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Dawson Design Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Learning myself how to be a project manager was extremely difficult, it would have been nice to learn from or work under older, more experienced project managers aside from the firm's busy principal." ((in 1 reviews))

Dawson Design Associates Reviews

3.9

87% would recommend to a friend

(20 total reviews)

Andrea Sheehan

88% approve of CEO

74% positive business outlook

Dawson Design Associates has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 20 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Dawson Design Associates employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Finance industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

20 reviews

5.0

13 June 2020

Well Established Company, Diverse Team, Inspiring Projects

Senior interior architect

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

DDA is a well established company that has been excelling in the hospitality design sector for +30 years. We produce high-calibre projects for well-established clients in the hospitality industry. The international team is made of highly talented individuals with diverse skillsets and perspective which I particularly enjoy working with. For the driven designer, DDA is a great place to develop their career. There are a lot of opportunities and tools to learn and improve different skillset. DDA Grad School is just one of them which is an educational database developed by Andrea Sheen and DDA Team over the years to ensure all team member are provided with the resources to enhance their knowledge and experience. DDA works with purpose-built processes and procedures that enable consistent production and quality of work across the team. All new team members are given official training to ensure they understand these procedures. There are great perks such as travel opportunities such as travelling for projects or design events and fairs, team outings in different cities and countries, bonuses and gifts.

Cons

Hospitality design is a deadline driven business which some designers may find hard to cope with. This fast pace environment truly tests the strength of designers’ skills and exposes any lack of knowledge and experience. If they are not willing to be challenged and open to learn, this might be stressful for them.

5.0

30 Mar 2020

Great Company, High Caliber of projects

Project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

I have worked for Dawson Design Associates for 6 years and the opportunity for growth is endless. The high caliber of projects we work on is inspirational and allows us creative freedom. Dawson Design has developed protocols and procedures over the years which allows each designer to learn in depth the hospitality industry. We have a collaborative office environment where all levels of designers have a voice. The company is structured so everyone learns how projects go together and can work all all phases, so no day is the same, it is exciting and stimulating.

Cons

The fast pace and deadline environment is not for everyone. It can be intense and challenging to ensure we produce the high caliber work our clients expect. Projects move quickly and flexibility is key but this is not always a fit that people enjoy.

5.0

29 Mar 2020

Senior Project Manager

Senior project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The opportunities are endless at DDA. I started off my career as a junior designer and over the years worked up to a Senior Designer/Project Manager. There is a high expectation to learn, practice, develop, grow and push yourself to be the best at your career. It takes a lot of personal investment, but the tools and opportunities to succeed are all in place. The projects produced are award winning and some of the best in the world. The clients are the top in the industry and drive DDA to produce top projects for them. The creative opportunities are all around you. With proven growth and responsibility, there are lots of chances to travel to visit project sites, meet clients, tour factories and go to some of the best trade shows in the world. The culture to learn and grow is very strong at DDA. There are classes, training binders and lots of hands on training done by the owner. It’s up to the designer themselves to take those training opportunities seriously and practice their craft in order to grow. You certainly have the chance to learn and grow quickly if you take your career seriously. The office has two locations, Seattle and London. The two locations make for a very diverse office and adds a lot to the culture. The company has developed a smooth system for working on projects together from the two office locations.

Cons

The pace of the office is very intense, but that is what is expected by the higher caliber of clients and the drive for award winning projects. It’s a deadline-based industry and that is taken very seriously. The expectations of the firm by the clients does carry over to the high expectation of the projects and the design staff. Everyone is pushed for excellence, which is a good thing if you are looking for growth and to be at the top – however, the pressure can be too much for many if you are looking for a slower paced work environment. It is expected that everyone take their career seriously and put in the time to become the best – once again, this can be a good thing for those looking for opportunity, but that demand can be too much for those who just want to check in and check out.

Dawson Design Associates Response

4y

Thank you! We are really pleased that DDA was the right fit for you. You clearly were the right fit for DDA! Thank you for being part of our team and best wishes on your continuing career adventures

Viewing 1 - 3 of 20 Reviews