Great projects, horribly toxic culture
Pros
Since WSP is so big, we often owned the main contract for some really large, high-profile projects. I really enjoyed the pace of staying on a large project for a longer period to see it through from early planning phases to design and construction. WSP also seems to be one of the higher-paying A&E firms in the area, enough so it was a big factor in me choosing to come here over another large firm I had an offer with.
Cons
For WSP corporate: - While I was there, 401(k) match was capped at $2700 (was simply 3% before) and we went to an "unlimited PTO" model where we don't accrue time (and can't cash out when you leave) and are pressured to take less time off to maintain utilization targets - IT systems were outsourced and one small ticket could take over a week with multiple calls/emails to sort out - We were moved to a shared-space office half the size we had previously with cheap furniture, zero separation from other groups/people (it was literally one giant open room), and non-working laptop hubs that meant I had to also lug my power brick to work every day. Specifically in Seattle's Planning group: There was a lot of churn, including managers and a lot of people were vocally derisive of the culture and politics on their way out. Some of the people who stuck around for a long time were incredibly toxic: lots of loyalty tests, backstabbing other coworkers, and lying to clients and team members about the sloppy, half-baked work we'd turn in. For me, it got to a point where I was spending more time navigating politics or trying to stay out of toxic situations than I was doing work.