Job Title Did Not Align With Expectations - Anonymous employee HDR Employee Review

3.0
7 Apr 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It was an honor working for HDR. They are a highly respected multi-billion dollar engineering firm. Great benefits, great people (for the most part), and much more.

Cons

It took me 3-4 months to interview and negotiate a salary. That was the first red flag. I took a pay cut to lead the effort in starting HDR's first (and only) process R&D facility. I also uprooted my entire life in another state to work for them. Moving costs they provided were unreasonably low, but I made it work. The process R&D facility was successful (the one client we had was very impressed), but upper management decided that they didn't want to have anything to do with it. And to top it off, my supervisor took all the credit, even though I did the majority of the work. And the final straw - I got the facility up and running while 90%+ of the office employees were working from home because of COVID. When I caught wind that upper management basically decided that they didn't want the research facility, my supervisor made my life a living hell. I was forced to give him a super detailed account of my hours and what I was billing, and I had nothing to bill, so they pretty much forced me out. I would've posted this review sooner, but I rarely go out of my way to share my work experience, and this is very cathartic. I had to post it somewhere, and whether or not it helps anyone else, it makes me feel better, and relieved a little bit.

Explore other reviews about HDR

5.0
24 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fantastic teamwork. The Coastal Group is very close and highly collaborative. There is a lot of support from upper management in the Coastal Group. Lots of projects lined up.

Cons

PTO and Sick Leave are tied together.

5.0
23 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Excellent work place environment, plenty of continuing education opportunities, and lots of intra-disciplinary events

Cons

Corporate woes will exist anywhere at large companies, nothing special about HDR.

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