Pros
This company is a great workplace for specific types of people: - fresh local graduates who seek to learn all about the industry - senior architects who seek a stable workplace with slightly lower overtime than other major architecture firms - foreigners who need work visas - those with family or side hustles who want a maintain a predictable status quo The work culture and community can be very rewarding depending on what sort of person you are. The "we are family" and "technology-driven" narrative is generally good but is sometimes used to mask the other problems at this company. The company has carved out an amazing niche within Singapore, specializing in industrial, commercial and institutional projects. It has bread and butter projects, long-time clients and a good reputation within the industry. Other perks include company socials, entry to select industry events and overseas trips.
Cons
The company still adopts old-fashioned and problematic approaches to running its consultancy. While some of these problems exist industry-wide, that should not be a reason to pretend they don't exist: - "don't discuss salary with your colleagues" policy - micromanaging time in office versus quality of work - zero transparency in HR practices - there is a high element of luck/ favouritism regarding salary increments/ bonus/ promotions because it will depend on your project prestige, how much you are liked and what experience you joined with. - appraisal rubrics are just for show and sometimes skipped over entirely because mgmt is too "busy", In truth, the firm hires lots of senior executives who are good at their job but poor or uninterested in mentoring - yet are forced to mentor because of team structure/ seniority. this demoralises those who have worked harder with effort unacknowledged and again highlights the element of luck. - there is usually no incentive to go above and beyond in this role except at times when working with any directors, whose impression of you trumps the appraisal system. - the firm as a whole has little interest in engaging and contributing to the wider architectural community as a whole compared to other firms - no standardised personal development budget -> majority of external courses I've seen people take are out of pocket - sometimes new senior hires who have had years of experience in other sectors of construction are hired but cannot adjust to the new types of industrial projects at the company. they end up either quitting or creating even more problems and workload for other colleagues to resolve - high turnover rate and individual workload for reasons mentioned above Despite all the structural issues listed, the company still runs very well from a business standpoint.