Former Associate - Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Employee Review

2.0
15 May 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some staff are excellent (as you will find in other organizations as well). My direct senior staff fell into this excellent group, which was truly the only reason I stayed for as long as I did.

Cons

The hours are completely unreasonable for client-facing staff. Expectation and requirement is to bill 40 hours/week to client work. If you work on anything not directly billable ("B" work) such as proposals (grueling work, "P" work though and not B work) or marketing work ("M") you will be asked to make up the hours you spent on these other business-related tasks in additional B work. This can easily lead to consistent 50-60 hour work weeks, sometimes more. Expect a few 70 hour work weeks. Everything you do that is NOT billable work you will have to make up on your own time, evenings, weekends, vacations, all-nighters. I've been in th workforce for over 30 years post-degree, and Booz Allen is the only place since college where I've had to pull all-nighters. Another con ... The quality (low) of some project managers. Not only in skills (people skills seem to be lacking among many) but in an overriding sense of entitlement and better-than-thou attitude. Makes working on some projects unbearable. The performance assessment system is a joke. It is a 360 assessment, but everyone knows who wrote what about them ... Thus, those poor quality people get rated far too leniently because who wants their PM (or any coworker for that matter) to have a personal vendetta against them? Finally, since the hotelling concept, everyone works at home and there is complete loss of comraderie and group cohesion and no friendships are formed beyond work related phone calls and emails. Very sad. Many in here reported on the loss of benefits. Yes, very true. But for me I would take a pay cut to have the other coins I mentioned above ironed out. Just couldn't take it anymore, left after 6 years.

Explore other reviews about Booz Allen Hamilton

5.0
16 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great benefits and work culture. A lot of great opportunities to network and grow in your career.

Cons

Typical consulting work type stuff. All the extra non-paid internal firm work you have to do to get noticed and promoted. It can also be difficult to find a project that aligns with your career interests and aspirations leaving you to work with a client or on a project that’s less than ideal (e.g., super demanding client, very monotonous tasking with little opportunity to grow, etc.) Since Booz Allen mainly deals with federal clients, you’re also susceptible to project funding cuts and company layoffs do to current political climate (e.g., government shutdown, idiotic DODGE cuts, etc.)

1
3.0
8 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong mission-focused culture with meaningful work supporting national security missions. Great exposure to diverse projects, talented teammates, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities to develop skills across security, intelligence, cyber, and consulting. Benefits and professional development resources are solid.

Cons

The company culture and employee experience have changed significantly in recent years. Earlier years felt more mission-focused and employee-centered, while recent organizational shifts, government spending pressures, and increased emphasis on becoming a technology-focused company have created uncertainty for some employees. Frequent changes in priorities, restructuring, and business decisions can make job stability feel less predictable. Employees may sometimes feel disconnected from leadership, and concerns raised through HR or management channels do not always appear to result in meaningful action or transparency.

1
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