They're over selling it - Electrical Engineer II ESD Employee Review

I don't actually want to say this, because I personally like the people at this company, but most of the qualities about this company that are stated in the job description aren't actually true. Sustainability & Improving Society: Most work here isn't regularly above and beyond current expectations of sustainability, just meeting current code requirements. Don't take the "environmental" word in the name of this company as something different from the typical engineering firm. They talk a big game about how this new building uses less water or energy that it could have, but that's a very simplistic view of sustainability. You can build a new coal powered power plant with LED lighting in it, but that doesn't mean it's a net positive for the world. They also advertise a lot that they "improve society through the built environment," but on the inside it's just a lot of talk about money, hours, and money. People and Culture: I get the impression that ESD used to be a lot better at people and culture in person, but since the pandemic they've really started to struggle. I think they're hoping a return to the office is going to fix their issues, but I don't see that happening. It's a pretty lonely job honestly. I'd go days without anybody talking to me. Career Growth: Maybe some would see rising in the ranks here as a great career opportunity, but I don't see it that way. Sure, your "level" rises, but really that just means you get more emails and have to attend more meetings. Things are really hard to change here, and ownership isn't offered until you stick around for like a decade or something. You just go from being one cog in the machine to another. There's too much management here. It's clear they're working through some trouble with the traditional hierarchical company structure and the size of the company they're at, but I don't have a lot of faith they're going to figure it out unless they get a new CEO. The work itself: I have this theory that the industry will move away from MEP only consulting in favor of full service firms due to increased complexity of building design, BIM workflows, and energy codes. There's so much wasted time in model coordination and collaborating with outside firms for small projects. The only reason the office/workplace team remains profitable is because in this time of increasing complexity, is because ESD has started outsources a lot of the simple drafting work to India. So your job here is much less about solving interesting problems with teammates that you like and admire, and much more about coordinating Revit models and managing the output of an overseas contractor that you never met to meet the design intent of an architect you've also never met. A lot of this extra work is generated by splicing up the design of a space over 3,4,5+ different companies. My guess is most employees would be happier in a full service environment. I know I was. These frustrations are worst in the office space studios of the company. If you are considering a job here, make sure it's with a different studio. Again, I hate to say these things because I want those with hiring responsibilities to succeed at their roles, but I don't want to perpetuate a system that isn't working. Sometimes things need to break before they can change for the better.