Dysfunctional Product Leadership - Product Manager EKN Engineering Employee Review

I feel like one of the most important things for any job would be the culture and environment. The department I am in, and teams here at EKN Engineering are such a great fit for anyone because there are so many connections to be made as everyone works so closely together. I honestly give this company such a high rating because of the help that the people here have provided for me during my time at work. I think that as someone early in their career, having a supportive team makes a huge difference, and EKN really does that well. Everyone is approachable, willing to answer questions, and open to sharing their knowledge, which has helped me learn and grow with confidence. Overall, I feel like EKN Engineering is honestly a really great place to start your career if you’re looking for strong teamwork and being with people who truly want to see you succeed. Not only are the connections here great, but you do have to keep in mind the benefits are also great as someone who was primarily looking for a job that had good health, vision, and dental insurance. There are many more benefits as well such as great events throughout the year, free lunches, and more! As someone who just got out of college, I feel like I have already learned so much about working full time, and I am very appreciative of that.

I feel like this con may be up to interpretation, but like most jobs, this place has a fast-paced environment. At times it can make you feel busy, but it also allows you to learn and grow quickly. Projects can shift at times, so learning how to manage and balance tasks takes some adjustment especially if you are someone who is brand new to the company.

I worked with some of the smartest, most talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and they are truly the only reason I was able to hang on as long as I did.

First things first: the pay is awful. I was brought on at just a dollar or two above minimum wage just weeks before the fast food minimum wage was raised to well exceed my pay. Add on to this the fact that the company’s executive and HR teams are some of the most out of touch individuals on the planet and you have a recipe for disaster. Members of the HR team openly and unironically complaining about how hard it was to hire young people despite offering them poverty wages, executives rolling up to work in luxury cars and walking past their employees struggling to survive on the pennies the company so “graciously” offers them, and an absolutely venomous workplace culture full to the brim with “mean girls” and creepy men. I could go on forever and still miss some key points. It’s an engineering firm operated like a tech startup and the company is not afraid to chew people up and spit them out when their usefulness has been forcefully wrung out of them like so many startups have before. Did I forget to mention their “compliance” department with not a single lawyer on the team leading to an absolute minefield of liability that I’m not confident a single executive has ever thought about?