Expert and Commission Manager - Engineering Team - Expert and Commission Manager HKA Employee Review

1.0
10 Oct 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very flexible position due to lack of sufficient oversight. If you want to do nothing for a week you could just tell people you were busy and it would never be checked.

Cons

Culture - very negative culture, no one enjoys working and it is a very profit driven environment. There is a real lack of respect for colleagues. Progression - in this role they said many things during the interview about progression which turned out to be untrue. There was no progression available and in fact the job was significantly more menial than advertised. Even when I approached management with suggestions of what could be improved I was simply told that I needed to bide my time (5 to 10 years) before gaining more responsibility. I think they struggle to understand the ambitious millennial mindset, Hierarchy - it is a very heirarchical organisation and often you will be very subordinate to people less qualified than yourself. Delegation is intensely downward and done in an uncooperative manner. Engineering Management - there are some very unpleasant characters in the management of this team. The billab,e time culture also seems to bring out the worst in people. Job Role - in the end the role was that of a secretary or PA to the most unpleasant and rude old men (consultants) who no one else wished to deal with in the company. Turnover rate for this role over the last year is roughly 50%. Those who remain are unanimously searching for jobs right now.

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HKA Response
4y
Thank you for posting on HKA's Glassdoor site. I note that you posted as a former employee back in October 2018. I am sorry that we are only now replying to your post. HKA is a continuous improvement organization and we recently decided that every post on HKA’s Glassdoor will be replied to. We do value different opinions and look to learn from them too. As you would expect me to say, HKA has evolved and improved much since October 2018. I respect that when you posted these were your views; notwithstanding that, I see HKA very differently to you. I joined HKA in April 2020 and therefore my opinion is based on the last 14 months. I am sorry that you do not feel you had a good experience in HKA. If you would ever like to connect with me to follow up on anything, you are most welcome. My email address is katewood@hka.com I know you will see my points below differently from your experience back in 2018 – today, June 2021, HKA: 1. is a great place to work. The culture is very collaborative, friendly, positive, respectful and we are passionate about clients, our people, and continuous improvement. Our people stay at HKA and enjoy working together as one team 2. delights in promoting our brilliant people. HKA is in growth mode so promotional opportunities are there as well as opportunities to join HKA 3. has a very high retention rate of our talented and diverse people, which is wonderful. In addition, our colleagues are referring in new people to join HKA 4. has a flat structure where sharing freely your opinions is encouraged. We know ideas come from everyone so we want to hear and listen to our colleagues 5. have a very strong Engineering Team. We have a super team who work well together there. We certainly do not tolerate any bad behaviour towards any colleagues. In my role as Chief People Officer, where my passion is our people, I would jump on anything inappropriate. Thank you again for posting. I trust you are well, particularly during this pandemic. Best regards Kate Wood Partner, Chief People Officer.

Explore other reviews about HKA

5.0
17 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company to work for. Lots of development room and potential

Cons

WLB can be difficult is time is not properly managed

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HKA Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that you’ve found HKA to be a great place to work, with strong development opportunities and potential for growth. Supporting career progression and helping our people build fulfilling careers is a key priority for us. We also appreciate your honest comments around work–life balance. The nature of our work can at times be demanding, and we recognise the importance of effective workload management and open conversations with managers to help maintain balance. This is something we continue to focus on and improve across the business. Thank you again for sharing your experience.
4.0
20 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great benefits and comp overall with work life balance

Cons

Competitive environment, often cutthroat atmosphere

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