Opportunity Abound - Interior Designer Staffelbach Design Associates Employee Review

I love the entrepreneurial spirit at Staffelbach. I have been with Staffelbach for nearly 15 years and started as an intern. I have worked my way up to Director, and I appreciate the trust they place in me as a leader, the support I was given in forming my career and the autonomy with my position. I very much appreciate the focus on design excellence and extraordinary customer service. Another "pro" for me is the flexibility in our work schedules. Staffelbach is a challenging and demanding environment, and we bring out the best in our employees. It is a great place for people who want to learn, grow and challenge themselves to be the best! I am proud to work for Staffelbach.

We have a very structured environment. This is not a con for me, as I feel most comfortable in a structured environment with established guidelines, but it can be viewed as a "con" for those who prefer little to no structure or guidelines.

-The cult-like Monday morning meetings are a riot to witness -You get lots of little notes, letters and gold stars, if you're into that sort of thing -Free snacks -Generous base salary

Things I wish I had known before accepting the positon: -Staffelbach operates more like a design-build firm than an architectural design firm. Projects are fast ("design" is usually done in 1-2 weeks) and a disconcerting proportion of the design work is farmed out to reps. -You must be willing to be insulted by the design principal, repeatedly. Even 20-year veterans are expected to sit and take direct insults in front of everyone -Much of the leadership are bitter, unhappy people and they will make you feel it -When you fill out your weekly projected timesheet, fill it up with hours, even if they are fake. Available time seems to be the primary factor driving most firings. -Most importantly, the modern design of the office is highly misleading. Most output falls somewhere on the post-modern to neotraditional scale, especially the projects that involve either of the two design leads. Old, stuffy, tired design that would have maybe been exciting in the mid- to late-nineties.