Pay is good but the company is a mess - Anonymous JH Kelly Employee Review

3.0
Aug 7, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company provides decent pay, average benefits. There are some very smart people working here. Interesting projects to work on and you will be exposed to many different trades. A lot the people actually doing work in the field (read - PE's, PM's, safety folks and supers) are great people who love what they do. The safety folks genuinely care about people. The president of the company is a decent guy in a 1:1 if you get a chance to talk to him

Cons

There is no plan for anything, ever. Most decisions are made only after a problem has blown up in everyones face and cost a lot of money or someone got hurt. Stagnant, reactionary executives who have never worked anywhere else in their 30+ year careers cause more problems than they solve. It is common to see people below them get thrown under the bus for their mistakes. The "flat org structure" the company promotes really means a lack of opportunities for career growth. Many PM's and PE's are stuck doing the exact same thing for a decade or more due to not being friends with the right people. No merit raises. Skill atrophy is a real thing with the lifers here. The company is very cliquey. It goes a long ways to have an "in" or share a last name with someone here. They say it's a family company but in practice it seems like it's an excuse to play favorites. JH Kelly has a reputation of being "the last stop before non union work" in the trades and the company collects a lot of folks who couldn't cut it elsewhere in the industry.

Explore other reviews about JH Kelly

5.0
Apr 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people at JH Kelly are some of the best people I have ever worked with.

Cons

The opportunities after the internship aren’t great

4.0
Jan 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It was an interesting learning experience.

Cons

Didn't have much guidance had to keep asking for things to do.

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