Great Company, Great People, Worldclass Projects, Lots of Talent - Architectural Designer III Populous Employee Review

4.0
21 Sept 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I loved the culture of the company! They loved to work hard and play hard and everyone felt included. The social events were a blast. The projects were design forward, innovative, and really fun to work on! There was lots of variety so you could go from group to group if you wanted to try a different typology. They were very supportive of letting you try new software/technology or experiences. Best Benefits I've ever seen at a company! Everyone was very open and approachable and you could walk up to anyone and start a conversation or ask a question.

Cons

There was very little transparency of what was going on with the firm financially during Covid. They tried to pretend like everything was ok and then wham they laid off a ton of people without warning. They even let go of some people who had been there for 30+ years without even as much as a (Thank you for your dedication and service speech). This is definitely a boys club, so if you aren't a guy, or don't come in being liked by the guys it will be very difficult for you to move up. The salaries could be higher. They expect you to work nights and weekends on deadlines and buy you dinner but don't pay you overtime. Raises are minimal. Beware of overworking yourself without getting much recognition or pay.

Explore other reviews about Populous

5.0
1 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very good experience in the firm

Cons

no at all i think

4.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Collaborative across offices, regions, states. Great amounts of travel opportunity. Small firm feel in a bigger firm.

Cons

Standards and leadership are still trying to catch up with the growth rate of the firm. Small firm culture which is great... but also entails small firm practices, standards and leadership values that are out of date.

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