project manager

designer

civil engineer

civil designer

bridge engineer

Benesch

So I'm a senior resident project manager on construction projects. I've been here going on 3 years now. I worked at the Michigan Department of Transportation for 8.5 years, then various consultants (5 other firms over the last 24 years). I can honestly say there is no comparison to other companies. Benesch is BY FAR the best company I have worked for in 30 years. 

The work is typical - overseeing road, bridge, etc. related construction projects. So if you are an engineer or a tech, you know you're beholden to the work of the contractor and working during summer months. Winters here in Michigan are tough, but we do muddle through. 

As with all companies, you have to learn some on your own, but here we actually train our people and get them certified. This is not the case at other firms.

Getting equipment you need & dealing with trucks aren't an issue as compared to everywhere else. 

PTO - you will come in based on your years of experience. Not just two weeks. Also, you can bank overtime and use it in the winter if needed or wanted. Who else even allows for that?

Some people have taken a month off paid, and choose to do this. We also strive to let people take time off even in the summer. That way PTO is actually used as a benefit, not just to save you during the winter months.

401k - outstanding match. I haven't heard of better!

Stock - possibilities to purchase company stock and have some ownership. Not guaranteed, but it is there.

Quarterly bonuses - No guessing year to year on whether your in the Special Club or not. Everyone gets something based on profitability. The way it should be!

Compensation - you might get paid higher elsewhere, but Benesch is competitive.

Culture - like every company, who you work with is what really defines the "culture". We do have a culture of safety first and foremost. From there we are like most other firms - special events teams, volunteering, being a part of fundraisers. I think culture also depends on what YOU help make it! I've enjoyed my 2+ years here!

Our company merged with Benesch. The merge felt uneasy but after time you get used to it. 

Benefits are great. 

Work can be done in-person, hybrid, or remote. 

Workplace culture is lacking as the office can feel empty. There is not a lot of engagement between different teams or different offices. It can feel lonely outside of your own team. 

The hardest part of my job is having consistent work as my manager will go missing for a few hours, days, to even weeks at a time. It is difficult to get work from other teams as managers don't like to share work with other teams. I have never worked in a team outside the people I worked with prior to the merge.

Unfortunately you may need to work on your own time (nights/weekends) if your tasks are over budget. A manager admitted to telling us this happens sometimes. Going over budget is a pain as upper management has to approve why it happened.

Being light with work is difficult. You need to be efficient with your tasks but you can't spend too much time on trainings either. So it feels like a paradox on how to fill your day when there isn't a lot of work.

Some managers comment on minor issues rather than meaningful changes. I personally dislike dashboards and prefer reports but I can only work on tasks given to me.

The job, for me, is on the easier side. My direct team is wonderful to work for. 

This company is bankrupt of morals and ethics not to mention management skills. Unethical practices are rampant throughout this firm from the top down. The boys at the top rule the roost and you better play along if you are desperate enough to hang on to your paycheck. Any employees without PE behind their name are treated the worst and constantly reminded how replaceable they are. If you're a female, forget about getting anywhere unless you look like Heidi Klum. This place has more clicks than a high school and most of the people who work here still act as though they are vying for spots on the next sequel of Mean Girls. Working here made ANY other job seem better than working in this living nightmare. If you have any self worth, it would be wise to stay away from this firm.

I was the office manager and administrative assistant to the president, vice president and controller.  I finally had reached the goal wanted.  It is a very friendly, family owned company, its like you become a member of the family.  I was taken out to lunch by the present quite often to discuss confidential office matters.  The hardest part of the job was telling me at 8:00 a.m. that you needed what you just dropped in my inbox by ten. How I learned how to fire and hire temporary employees and a receptionist without emotions involved.  Being the receptionist at noon when my receptionist went to work.  I got to be at the front desk again and talk to people on the telephone, greet people when they came in the door, and talk with the staff going and coming.  Best part of job picnic and office Christmas party.



Overall company culture has seen an increased focus on health and wellness, work/life balance, recognition, corporate social responsibility and other important areas for employees in recent years. Lots of project work that provides exciting challenges and fosters creativity and collaboration across teams. Growth mindset both organically and through strategic M&As to expand service offerings and market coverage. If you work hard and do a good job, there are plenty of rewards. Culture and experiences may vary from office to office, engineer vs non-engineer and years with the company. Plenty of legacy employees promoted into management positions.

Overall the people were great to work with. Beneach pays really well. It’s more of a Corporate feel than a small business feel. 

The management side of construction was poor. Expect to get calls at all hours of the night for non-emergency things, expect your boss not to have your back if things go wrong on things he specifically asked for. Construction Manager is not big on answering the phone and most likely won’t call you back unless he needs something from you. Taking time off for doctor appointments in the summer are impossible, you will be asked to wait till the off season. Overall it was a good experience but I would not point somebody into the construction side of things. If it’s a office job I would recommend them.

Overall I really enjoyed working at Benesch. The people are great, the CEO comes around at least once a year and speaks to everyone individually. You get to work on an interesting variety of projects. The only con was that the company needs can come before your career ambitions. You can express your desires, but likely they will fit you into where they need you and ignore what you actually want to work on. It's probably not a big deal for everyone, but it can be demoralizing at times.

A bit conservative but on par for civil engineering companies. Attempting to move to a more modern workplace environment. Employees that stick around really love what they do and it's reflected in their work hours and attitude at the job, as well as Benesch's reputation in the areas they work. I left because the roles weren't a good fit for my career, but I really liked the company and would recommend it to anyone. I was given responsibility within time and opportunities to participate in organizations outside of work.

I have been with Benesch for almost 20 years and have no regrets with starting here as a designer and working my way into management. There are many opportunities for employees to advance and the compensation and benefits are excellent. There is the ability to work on unique projects through work sharing between offices and a lot of technical resources company-wide. If you have a problem you can't figure out, chances are there is someone within the company who can.

At Alfred Benesch if you want to learn anything you basically have to learn it on your own, the employees at Benesch tend to not work with each other but constantly compete with one another which I think is not good for a company. I feel we all work for the same company than we should all work together to make sure the company is successful. Management should practice on how to get all of their team to work with one another and not against each other

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Project manager 20 salaries reported	$139,125 per year
Designer 5 salaries reported	$78,080 per year
Civil engineer 10 salaries reported	$113,570 per year
Civil designer 6 salaries reported	$38.00 per hour
Bridge engineer 3 salaries reported	$92,500 per year

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