NCARB Reviews

3.0

56% would recommend to a friend

(40 total reviews)

Michael J. Armstrong

53% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

NCARB has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 40 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The NCARB employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Non-profit and NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

40 reviews
1.0
4 Jul 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Typical regulatory organization with thin veneer of power and prestige. All architects have to be licensed and so at least at one time in each of their careers, they must pay homage to NCARB.

Cons

(1) Supervisor got unbridled power to put tight and unreasonable restraints on me so she could bully me and force me out and hire a friend of hers from another department. I was placed under a gag order--told to not talk to anybody inside or outside the company without strict permission requirements, even though I was a senior writer hired and paid to talk to people. I had 3 supervisors in the space of 10 months, with the last supervisor being the woman brought into our department finally and whom the supervisor wanted to give my job to. Continued purposeful communication with the HR department did no good as I was reminded time and time again that it was I who was an unfit employee, despite my earnest attempts to meet new and growing demands--the department head was in no wrong for the gag order, etc. After my termination, the organization had to admit not once but twice that I was not fired "for cause" (or due to any infraction or misbehavior or poor performance), but because it "wasn't a bad fit." This was admitted to both the Washington D.C. and the State of Virginia employment commissions. (2) The organization has done what any regulatory organization does and has taken the basic career prep time for a professional and turned it into a long and arduous journey with much unnecessary oversight, cost and regulation.

2.0
11 Apr 2022

Incredibly Disappointing

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Standard 401(k) 3% match and PTO. Decent Healthcare. Nice office space - next to the metro.

Cons

First, I would like to mention that previous (be sure to sort by "most recent") reviews containing 4-5 stars were submitted by request from top senior leadership due to high turnover and previous poor reviews. They do not reflect true accuracy due to the pressure to submit. Second, high turnover at NCARB is the result of poor management across several support departments. The Customer Support department lacks strong knowledgeable leadership skills and therefore use micromanagement tactics to compensate for their inability to make effective decisions for the best of the business and their employees. There is very little to no room for growth. The Information Systems department has very highly skilled and resourceful team members, however top senior leadership has continually demonstrated a pattern in which they sacrifice high-achieving team members through burnout, in favor of keeping low-achieving and poor performers on the team. The Human Resources department is repeatedly unprepared and disorganized. This is evident by their constant need for reminders of standard protocol tasks by members of the team and lack of basic knowledge surrounding employee demographics. Although some employees may hold a leadership title (ex. Manager, AVP) at NCARB, most of their voices will go unheard or at least not factor into any important decision making (this does not apply to all departments). The titles are all smoke and mirrors. Lastly, NCARB's slogan is "Let's Go Further" ....that couldn't be further (no pun intended) from the truth. They have an outdated culture, toxic workplace dynamic, lack emotional intelligence, money hungry, and as HR said it best, a "top-down" and "undemocratic" leadership structure. This is not an organization that upholds their slogan or values.

1.0
13 Dec 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Coworkers are welcoming at first. Easy accessible location. Free coffee and snacks when they stock them. Access to building gym and fitness classes.

Cons

Management does not care anything about the customer service department. Training was a joke and they absolutely played favorites. Was told there would be time offline to work and that was a total lie. Everyone is in fear for their job and if you say anything to upper management or HR it falls on deaf ears and you can expect major retaliation. This place is wolf in Sheeps clothing. Don't waste your time.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 40 Reviews

Glassdoor has 41 NCARB reviews submitted anonymously by NCARB employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if NCARB is right for you.