civil engineer

senior civil engineer

vice president

engineering project manager

senior project manager

Huitt-Zollars, Inc.

The downtown office benefits from a diligent group of interns and non-licensed staff; however, the upper management presents significant challenges. Despite high compensation, senior leaders appear to contribute minimally to daily operations, frequently attending conferences while claiming to be overburdened and under-supported.

A concerning aspect of the office culture is the existence of a “clique” between PMs and Practice Area Leaders, that demonstrates unprofessional behavior. This group consistently arrives late (minimum (9:30am), spends significant portions of the day in non-work-related conversations, and takes extended lunch breaks (more than an hour). Their utilization rate falls well below company expectations, yet they maintain an outward appearance of being busy. This behavior is compounded by a lack of accountability from the supervising staff, who seem either unaware or unwilling to address the issue. They spend more time on their attire, intended to convey a sense of professionalism that inadvertently misleads the company into perceiving them as hard workers. They are not hesitant to adopt a “bad cop” strategy to achieve their objectives. They exhibit a “boss” mentality rather than a “leader” mentality, which allows them to minimize their workload. 

Additionally, a recurring pattern is observed where Management hire individuals lacking the necessary skills. These employees are often shifted between teams, and those who struggle are eventually overloaded with work until they voluntarily resign. They do not like to fire people. This practice not only leads to employee dissatisfaction but also causes the company to incur losses due to underperforming hires and inefficient staff management.

The office culture reflects a micromanaged environment, with a focus on physical presence rather than actual productivity. Leadership prioritizes in-office attendance, often mandating a return to the office while not adhering to the same standards themselves. Furthermore, there appears to be favoritism at play, with non-licensed staff receiving less support and recognition than their peers.

Another critical issue is the outdated equipment provided to employees. The laptops are slow, prone to overheating, and have insufficient storage, creating unnecessary obstacles in performing daily tasks, particularly when handling large files. Additionally, the limited availability of software licenses hampers productivity, as employees must share access to essential tools.

Regarding professional development, the company’s approach to licensure is inadequate. While there is a push for employees to obtain their licenses, the provided study materials, specifically through Black Spectacles, have been criticized for their lack of substance. Requests for better resources have been met with resistance, suggesting a lack of investment in employee growth.

In conclusion, while the office has hardworking employees at lower levels, significant improvements are needed in management, culture, and resource allocation to create a more productive and supportive work environment. I currently have ZERO confidence and trust in our Practice Area Leaders and their clique. They have an obvious bias towards certain people and speaking up is pointless. It is hard for me to think of positives for this company, as the negatives far outweigh them. They have an obvious bias towards certain people and speaking up is pointless. It is hard for me to think of positives for this company, as the negatives far outweigh them.

I am very grateful for working here and for the people I met and overall I believe I was able to learn a lot, which is the main goal of an intern.  Everyone who I met was incredibly kinda and understanding, and helped me thought my internship. The projects I worked on I had meaningful input and my work mattered. With that being said I do think that my experience could have been improved  very easily. Firstly, a lot of the small things, especially on day one could have been improved. My desk was dirty and there was still stuff from in guessing the person before me and no one seemed to know what I was supposed to be doing on my first day. There wasn’t a streamlined training process and I felt like I was on my own for figuring out new programs. Also there seemed to be an attempt of an Intern program, but it didn’t have much substance. I can tell that they wanted to have intern classes and meeting but they were loose and infrequent. Overall I enjoyed my experience at Huitt Zollars but I can’t help but feel like it could of been improved very easily.

A medium sized company at about 500 employees. Corporate office is in Dallas, TX. This sometimes makes it difficult to translate CA market value and union affiliation is unpopular. Luckily my office manager was an LS and understood the value of a good survey technician. Flexible and fun atmosphere was a plus. ESOP but no 401K match. New computers trickling down from the top CADD users on a regular basis. Yearly employee evaluations and raises. Bonuses only for associates, everybody else get a "Christmas gift" of $50. Continuing education was encouraged and reimbursed if certain grade criteria was met. 

I enjoyed my time at Huitt-Zollars. As a branch office we were always made to feel a part of the corporate organization.. This happened through company-wide video conferencing as well as frequent visits from top corporate leaders. The emphasis was always on doing the right thing and the best quality work. H-Z provided excellent company benefits, including profit sharing, ,re-imbursement of licensure fees, and other certification costs.

Minimum range for pay for cad techs in Texas is 55-60k a year.  I am paid 48k.  This just is not a liveable, sustainable wage.  Work frequently slows down and I find myself idle often.  Company will not bother training you on new things unless there is someone in that office already that can do it.  WFH policy is very confusing and seems to exist for higher ups to use.  Most of my experience is public works land development but I mostly set up sheets or copy labels for train plans.  

A good company that struggles with corporate myopia in a few distinct areas.  They hog tie their office managers to approved openings to hire people, however if you need more people for shorter terms than a typical engineering project they simply say no leading to missed deadlines, unhappy clients and bad internal reviews. The corporate ESOP has good intentions but it is artificially inflated.

Answer phones, distribute incoming mail and prepare outgoing mail.  Learned to separate personal and professional emotions and not to take bad comments personal.  I enjoyed working with everyone.  My saddest experience was when I had to witness the lay-offs the company had over the years. The company has three other offices in California and we always got together at the end of the year for a company celebration.

My experience at Huitt-Zollars, Inc. has been positive and the team has made me feel welcomed and supported since day one. The company culture is great, and I’ve learned a lot about recruiting and other HR functions since I’ve started. I’m happy to be gaining hands on experience from all of my courses in school. This experience has solidified my interest in the HR field and I’m excited to keep learning more. 

The upper management treats their employees like children.  With extreme micromanagement to watching your every move & timing you every time you leave your desk. The manager I reported to was promoted without any leadership experience.  She REALLY  needs to take some type leadership training class to know how to talk to employees & treat them with respect. 

At Huitt-Zollars I felt at home right away. Everyone is super inviting and ready to help teach and help you learn as much as possible. They are all open to questions and are super kind in explaining things. Everyone has great communication and I really appreciate the company culture here.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Civil engineer 4 salaries reported	$130,875 per year
Senior civil engineer 7 salaries reported	$156,429 per year
Vice president 2 salaries reported	$212,500 per year
Engineering project manager 3 salaries reported	$140,833 per year
Senior project manager 2 salaries reported	$136,500 per year

Working at Huitt-Zollars, Inc.: Company Overview and Reviews

Huitt-Zollars, Inc.

Huitt-Zollars, Inc. Ratings

Popular jobs at Huitt-Zollars, Inc.

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected