drafter

technologist

data analyst

archaeologist

KGS Group

An engrained culture of caring about quality of work and end result has earned us long-term clients and a level of respect in the local market/community that adds to job satisfaction. Combine that with flexibility, direct support from all levels of management, (even right up to the CEO), absence of silo effects, and most importantly recognition of the individual, are all factors that have contributed to a very high staff retention compared to the industry. Technologists and support staff are generally respected and treated equal to engineers which maximizes the potential of our team and overall morale.

There are challenging periods due to pressing deadlines which is typical with Engineering consulting, but the difference here compared to most larger firms is that there is no pressure to hit certain chergeability targets when times are a tad slower. That is likely due to the fact that KGS is not bound by the rules of publically traded companies that require an x amount of growth every year that results in major layoffs if not met. In fact, KGS is owned by employees so the company's fate is primarily in the hands of the people that understand the business of engineering. Ownership was once limited to a select club but the current CEO has realized the importance of spreading out ownership to all strong perfomers regardless of designation, which has been happening over the past couple of years.

The company has also been significantly growing organically over the past 2 years while management seems to be careful with preserving culture and making quality local hires for the long run, which adds more helpful resources for everyone. Aside from a couple isolated cases of noticeably underperforming staff, I have not seen any orchestrated layoffs since I started here over a decade ago, which again speaks to how the individual is respected here.

The workload varies from large projects in direct competition with mega-corps, to smaller assignments which is nice filler between the big jobs. Minimized red-tape and simplified administration allows us to punch above our weight and still remain competitive. That also allows for direct, nimble response which is much appreciated by our clients.

Benefits and vacation are more or less on par with private industry, matching RRSP plan is above par which adds to the total compensation package. Crown corps can be more competitive, that's if you can handle stagnation and dependancy on political decisions.

On the cons side, I would say that we are going through some growing pains and in need of modernizing some aspects of organizational and IT structure, if we want to continue growing at this rate. I'm confident in the abilities and vision of the current CEO, which has already brought major change since he took over. Certain things are just going to take some time, which is not necessarily a bad thing if aiming to do this right.

Overall, I am quite comfortable with the prospect of spending the remaining 20 some years of my career at KGS, and thanks to this company I could definitely not see myself ever working for a mega-corp again.



This review will focus on engineering/technology staff. I can't speak to accounting, HR, etc.

At KGS Group  you'll have the support you need from anyone in the company. And that's not a figure of speech: from new hires, to staff in other offices, up to the president of the company; if you need them, they'll answer. That level of cooperation is ingrained in the company culture and consciously reinforced. That's not to say you can offload your work, or have senior management sit beside you while you do it, but when you need an opinion, historical precedent, advice or just help, you'll have it.

The company's philosophy is that cookie-cutter doesn't cut it. You'll be expected to present solutions that are customized to the site, the client, and the situation. That can be challenging, but it's a lot more rewarding than repeatedly churning out the same design or process. That customized fit applies to employees as well, and management will work with staff to find the right fit, which can change over time. The company has an unusually high rate of staff retention for the industry, which suggests that the people who come here find what they need, and are treated right.

The company is employee-owned, so folks are invested (in both senses) in its performance. Not in a "coffee's for closers" way, but in a positive and helpful way. Benefits are decent, they're not going to scare or blow you away. Vacation is similar. There's no pension, but there's an employer/employee matching RRSP contribution plan. The company uses flex-time. It's a consulting environment, so you'll often be subject to the whims, reasonable and otherwise, of the clients and the projects that come along.

The only drawback to working here would be work-life balance. The company is mostly populated by people who like their jobs, like to work, and are dedicated to their profession. This is particularly true at the management level, as that type of person tends to advance professionally. That kind of person also tends to work a lot, and the people around them who want a different balance can perceive pressure to do the same. That pressure, though, is almost always internal to the employee, not something imposed by the company. There will occasionally be the odd pressing deadline (or more commonly, combination of deadlines) that require extra time, but the day-to-day workload can generally be managed in your typical 40. That said, if you want to excel, rise through the ranks, or take on more, you'll be surrounded by workhorses, and you'll need to operate at their level. So you can find a work/life balance and you can find an advancement track, but you may not be able to find both at the same time.

In the end, it's work. KGS Group does things to make the job better, more comfortable, and more accommodating...but it's still work. You probably won't love your job, because real people don't love their jobs. However, in your quiet moments to yourself, you'll probably realize that you do, in fact, like your job, maybe even a lot. It'll keep you thinking, keep you improving and keep you comfortable. 

And that's pretty good.

I had a deeply disappointing experience working at the KGS Group Thunder Bay office. The work environment there can only be described as toxic, with a pervasive sense of tension and negativity that makes it hard to stay motivated. Many employees, including myself, struggled under constant stress due to unprofessional behavior from both management and colleagues. There was little to no support for personal development, and any attempt to bring up concerns was often met with dismissive or defensive responses.

One of the major issues I encountered was the disorganization of project managers and discipline leads. They displayed a lack of leadership, communicationoften providing unclear or inconsistent directions, which left our team confused and frustrated. Project managers and Discipline Leads  on the other hand, regularly failed to communicate key project details, leading to missed deadlines and last-minute scrambles. The poor coordination between departments often led to projects being delayed, over-budget, or riddled with mistakes that could have been avoided with proper management.

Given these negative experiences, I cannot recommend working at KGS Group’s Thunder Bay office. The unprofessional behavior, combined with poor leadership from individuals , creates an unhealthy work environment where stress and mismanagement are rampant. For anyone seeking a productive, supportive, and organized workplace, I would advise looking elsewhere.



I worked in the thunder Bay office for just over 5 years. I will say don't work in the TB office. Management is terrible, there is far too many that don't do anything. Everyone make sure they are busy and don't share work if it will make them look slow (so if you are new you are not going to get a lot of work). Workplace culture - So many people spread rumors about you and if your not friends with the boss then he will believe the other people. When I got let go they also told me that I was laid off when I wasn't, I hated that tell me actually why I was let go then I would have had more questions. I got work late and got the blame put on me. 

I will be honest this is not a company you want to work for until the management changes. I'm just speaking about the TB office. I went to the Toronto office a few times and it seems like it was 10 times better but I was only their 4 time for 2 weeks at a time.

KGS Group was started by engineers, and keeps the perspective of an engineer for the primary focus of the work they do.  Having offices in several provinces helps to diversify the work flow and the types of work they do - keeping things interesting and valuable to the clients and staff.   There is a great commitment to the staff, bonuses when the company does well, matching RRSP for the future.

I have worked in both private consultants and government offices and KGS is one of the best ones that I have worked in.  the atmosphere is casual and easy-going.  The work at times can be insanely busy, but that is the nature of the work and to be expected.  Several times while working out of town on a construction job, they would ask me how I was coping with the work and wanted to know if I need time off.  So far this has been a great place to work.

One of the best places I had an opportunity to work. My co-workers were excellent people to work with. Very flexible;
Very team-oriented environment.
I would work there forever

Pay was okay but every manger and supervisor felt extremely fake and like talking to a robot. The workloads were sporadic and micromanaged. Promises during hiring regarding the balance of field work to office work were not kept. 

I'd recommend steering clear of this place.

I work for the Municipal Department in Winnipeg. The management team are some of the most caring and compassionate that I have ever worked for. Great opportunity for developing new skills and advancement. Fast paced environment but management shares the workload amongst all.

They lie about your working hours and suddenly I find myself unable to pay my rent.

Customers really rude and scream and screech and hang up 

They make it see like they have loads of hours and they dont

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Drafter 5 salaries reported	$90,000 per year
Technologist 3 salaries reported	$71,833 per year
Data analyst 1 salary reported	$211 per day
Archaeologist 1 salary reported	$33.15 per hour

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