Pros
Working at DDA gives you huge learning opportunity to develop and fosters your career. Work pace is fast and intensive. You are constantly encouraged to keep up with international design trends and you are required to know what is happening in hospitality around the world. It is a growing company and with every year project done there are bigger and more interesting. For all new employees there is a special course called DDA grad school to let them familirize with technical solutions, work culture and hotel industry operational standards. There are a lot training opportunities and if you are eager to learn then this is a perfect workplace. For mid-level and senior staff company provides a lot of international travelling opportunities, mostly exchanging staff between London and Seattle offices (they act as a one team). There is also a lot of travelling in the US for all projects (site visits, site verifications, meetings). All employees are part of DDA’s concept building charettes and are part of the design, it is not like one person decides everything (at conceptual stage). Great Christmas treats, goodbye/welcome parties and Friday Happy Hours. In this company you are required to work intense but you are also offered some compensation:). Coaching from CEO is really valuable thing, she knows her industry and shares her knowledge and unconventional approach.
Cons
Company CEO is a very intense and requiring person. If you are not thick skinned and can't stand fast and intensive pace or usual stress that comes with designing than it is not place for you. Sometimes office gets really busy and everybody is stressed. During those two months work environment gets nasty and it is less comfortable to provide great results when some people are barkling at each other. A great load of procedures. Even though it is not a big company (less than 50 people), weekly amount of paperwork is overwhelming. Most of them are not providing any valuable information but keep people buy with preparing documents instead of just designing. In this company there are two types of experience. DDA experience and your experience. You could have huge experience in other company but if you don't know DDA procedures and way f handling thigs than you are treated as junior. It could be frustrating for some people that come appreciated and with a strong background, especially when they feel in their guts that DDA way is not the only way. Really poor vacation leave policy. You are not allowed to take leave without pay, even when you want to use it for training or an industry event. It is in contrary with company policy to foster career development.
