Don't Do It - Designer NBBJ Employee Review

1.0
31 May 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Good for building connections in Seattle's relatively small architecture community. -Lots of opportunities for large scale, corporate projects, if that's what you're into.

Cons

-Horribly misogynistic and racist atmosphere, to the point that we had to have multiple internal interventions. Not that those were productive, as the leadership was quick to turn it around and cast blame on anyone feeling victimized. Women trained as architects were told that they should focus on interiors because "women are better at picking fabric than men". Women were asked in interviews if they planned on having children soon, which is illegal. Women were discouraged from being staffed on large scale exterior projects and treated as inferiors to their male counterparts. -Leadership chose favorites which generally had nothing to do with talent or effort and everything to do with their willingness to suck up and build said leaders' egos. -High turnover, mainly due to the reasons listed above. Your portfolio won't thank you much and you'll most likely leave feeling burnt out and uninspired.

Explore other reviews about NBBJ

5.0
4 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Super flexible and great coworkers

Cons

No real cons. Maybe wished it was more hybrid

1.0
16 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

healthcare benefit, good office location

Cons

Bonus points if you're white and can fit into the small inner circle (iykyk). If not, you may find yourself constantly reminded that you don’t really belong. There is a very obvious double standard around flexibility and trust. Certain people seem to be allowed to do whatever they want, while others get questioned for the same behavior and suddenly need to have a “conversation with the manager.” Openly talking negatively about coworkers and consultants is also treated as normal. There is a lot of casual criticism, gossip, and dismissive commentary, which makes the environment feel unnecessarily tense and unprofessional. The micromanagement is also exhausting, especially from managers who are too busy to know what you are actually working on. Instead of feeling trusted to do your job, you end up spending a lot of energy managing perception. Also, 4 days in the office is intense; sometimes people just need quiet time to focus. Although if you're one of the favorites, that can be negotiable.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All