Pyramid Structured Organisation - Anonymous employee ALTEN Employee Review

Alten UK's entire business strategy is somewhat different than any other company I have ever worked for. It is basically a commission based structure which relies on aggressive recruitment and brutish expansion. Built on the backs of those who have long since left; as it becomes clear after one or two years the full extent of this parasitic company. Recruiters receive commission for finding the engineers, business managers receive commission for bringing them on a customers project, and the engineers themselves receive commission for sending CV's to there respective business manager. To the extent that during your annual appraisal, if you have not sent in some of your friends or former colleagues CV's, it will effect your yearly performance (and annual raise). Instead of developing your career (as the business managers will continually tell you they plan to do), this pyramid structure attracts a very hungry and money oriented top level management, which cascades down into all areas of the business. Not an engineering company, its a recruitment company. With business managers more like salesmen. Not a company I want to support and not one I would recommend you to join (unless that is, like many of my colleagues, you plan to use them as a way into the UK market and once here, find something new).