Light 'em up, because she's going doooooooooooooooown! - Software Developer Hatch Employee Review

1.0
Apr 20, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The upper-echelon of management that answers to the CEO are charismatic and approachable. The logo is red. They have blue pens. Free Hat. The office buildings are very quiet with lots of empty cubicles. You can wing 1 day work weeks and "work from home" the rest of the time because your foot is sore, allergies, air pressure, it's cloudy, it's sunny, if the current year has numbers in it, or if it's daylight. If you get fired from Ontario Power Generation's procurement team for sexual misconduct with your secretary (in the office) outside of your marriage - you can land (and keep) a job here as a procurement director. HR doesn't do any reference checks. The CEO has a Ferrari on order. He can really open it up and let those horses fly on those municipal streets at 60km/h. You can watch cat videos all day because there's no project work - Youtube is not blocked. You don't have to license intellectual property - it's encouraged to violate it first and deal with fallout later. If you raise any questions about clear ethical violations about what's going on, they will lay you off with a significant package. It's easy to move your project files off their network before you get laid off. Easy to get a better job having worked at this disaster. You learn a lot about how not to run a business successfully. You just tell stories during your interview, you should see the looks on their faces. Dropping a deuce into a co-worker's desk drawer can go unnoticed for months.

Cons

Shares are a myth, like the lost city of Atlantis, we've all heard the stories, but nobody knows for sure if it ever existed. Hatch brags about how much cash they have with no debt. No free coffee. Hatch's rates are too high to win projects, yet wages are below market rates. Layoffs everywhere - it's so bad that we wrote an app that scanned the system database for Infratickets filed by HR to revoke user access (for a pending layoff). It gave us a heads-up so we could move our project files off-site if/when our time came. This year's raises came in a big box. When you opened it, a red boxing glove on a spring would leap out and punch you in the face. A global director then urinates on your shoes. There's nobody left in the software development team, it cannibalized itself when somebody was appointed by a genius to lead the team from marketing and everybody left. HR spies on you online. Once you beef up your online resume presence, expect to be pulled into a board room grilling you. Working here is like playing for the Maple Leafs. Sure they make a profit, but it's not because they're any good. Nipigon River Bridge failure 6 weeks after commissioning. Career Management Discussions - Each year I was told to go work somewhere else. There were no opportunities to grow a software development career in the Software Development group. Unknowingly worked with a sexual predator, but didn't know until his picture showed up in the newspaper as a follow up to a story a few years ago as the case was about to be in court the following day. The company is descending into chaos and darkness.

Explore other reviews about Hatch

5.0
May 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

great work environment, very communicative and collaborative. Easy and open communication with PMs and upper leadership.

Cons

need to be proactive to get work, especially if you're new. lot of travel, pro or con depending on your outlook.

1
3.0
May 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Exceptional project exposure across major U.S. transit, infrastructure, and energy pursuits — the portfolio and client roster are genuinely impressive and great for your professional brand The LTK Engineering Services acquisition brought in a strong, collaborative office culture that is noticeably more grounded and people-focused than the broader Hatch Ltd (Canadian entity) culture Strong brand recognition in the A/E/C space that opens doors with major public agencies

Cons

Hired under the Client Action Team structure, which led to significant instability — multiple management changes in a short period with little transparency or consistency Overlapping time zones and regional boundaries create constant coordination friction; the flat hierarchy sounds good on paper but breaks down quickly when accountability is unclear and no one owns decisions Zero flexibility on in-office requirements — no hybrid accommodation even when the nature of the work doesn't require it Promotions are not merit-based. Advancement appears tied to visibility metrics like road safety observations and office attendance rather than the quality or impact of your work — deeply frustrating for high performers

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