Terrible graduate recruitment process and lied to about salary! - Graduate Environmental Consultant Arcadis Employee Review

1.0
May 13, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE!

Cons

ABSOLUTELY AWFUL! After going through a very vigorous recruitment process, I was delighted to have been offered a place for the Graduate Environmental Consultant Programme in Manchester. I was given a verbal offer stating my starting salary would be £25k with NO follow up email. After waiting three weeks and receiving the follow up documents including my contract, only after I prompted them, I was horrified to find out my starting salary was stated as £20k! To say that I was upset is an understatement. I had been looking forward so much to starting a career with Arcadis. It had been my ambition since completing my masters to be an environmental consultant and it is what I had worked so hard for! Fortunately, I had not resigned from my present job at the time (which I was just about to do that week!) My present salary was 25000 with the promise of a far higher salary one year later. I was also short listed (five of us) for a graduate scheme with United Utilities' and the starting salary was 27000. I find it absolutely shocking that Arcadis can call themselves a socially responsible company and only offer their talented and hard working graduates £20k a year! Most admin jobs pay more than that! Not to mention, the way the HR department handled the situation. I would ADVISE AGAINST any graduate from applying to this company because you will be played a fool before you even start! (salary advertised as "competitive" during the recruitment process!). Quite frankly, it is an insult and us graduates deserve better!

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5.0
Jun 18, 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

The people and the work we do.

Cons

None really. Could use better pay consistencies and recognition of those who do well and are rewarded as such.

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Arcadis Response
15h
We appreciate you sharing your experience of the amazing people and values as well as your thoughts on rewards and recognition structure for high performers. At Arcadis, we are committed to creating an environment where people can thrive, and feedback like yours helps us refine our approach so we can better support recognition, growth, and a rewarding employee experience for all team members. Thank you for sharing your experience.
3.0
Jun 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Leadership and operational teams are passionate about the work they do.

Cons

Company engages in frequent reorganization, leaving people at all levels in a constant state of flux.

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Arcadis Response
4d
We recognize your appreciation of the passion within our leadership and operational teams, as well as your concerns regarding challenges of frequent structural changes. Feedback like this highlights areas we can continue to strengthen as we support development across the organization. Hearing a range of experiences allows us to stay mindful of how we evolve our culture and strive to provide a stable, supportive environment for all employees. Thank you for raising these points and sharing your perspective.
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