Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

HQ
New York
Total Offices: 8
1,920 Total Employees
Year Founded: 1936

What's the Work-Life Balance Like at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in New York?

Updated on September 09, 2026

This page summarizes recurring themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and has not been reviewed or approved by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

What's the work-life balance like at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)?

Strengths in selective manager support and a sense of meaningful, high-quality work in New York are accompanied by sustained time pressure, blurred boundaries, and leadership gaps on some teams. Together, these dynamics suggest the New York office offers rich professional exposure with elevated demands that can strain personal time.

Key Insight for Candidates

Defining pattern: In SOM’s New York office, feedback consistently highlights long hours within a fast‑paced, hierarchical culture that strains work‑life balance. This matters because employees report recurring burnout and weak separation between work and personal time, especially during major deliverables and on marquee, fast‑track projects.

Evidence in Action

  • Long-Hours Deadline Pushes New York, NY reviews emphasize 'long hours' around deliverables. Employees face extended evenings that compress recovery time, making personal routines fragile between deadlines.
  • Hierarchy-Driven Workload Pressures New York, NY feedback cites 'hierarchy' and 'burnout' as defining pressures. Employees experience top-down urgency and reduced control over hours, which strains boundaries and heightens stress.

Positive Themes About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

  • Manager Support: In the New York office, some teams are described as flexible and supportive, with managers and colleagues accommodating and collaborative. Accounts even note people often return after leaving, reflecting trust in local leadership.
  • Meaningful Work: New York architects describe an extremely productive environment with talented peers producing high-quality work. This sense of impact and craft can make the busy pace feel purposeful for some.

Considerations About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

  • Time Pressure: In New York, long hours and deadline-driven surges are a common feature, with burnout flagged on major projects. The pace is described as very fast, leaving limited personal time between pushes.
  • Always-On Culture: Colleagues in New York describe little separation between work and personal life during intense phases. Evening and weekend work becomes normalized when deliverables stack up.
  • Manager Neglect: In the New York office, gaps in communication and leadership are blamed for poor balance on some teams. One local perspective explicitly ties the lack of balance to weak management.
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These insights are generated using AI and may not reflect internal data or verified company information. They are intended solely for general informational purposes and should not be considered a definitive assessment of the company’s reputation. If you are a representative of this company, and would like this page to be removed, you may contact us via this form.
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