Not an Awful Experience - Anonymous employee Acumen Employee Review

1.0
Jul 3, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to support positive change in the healthcare. Interesting and challenging projects for federal agencies.

Cons

Financial prospects of the company are very bleak in this current administration especially with the high attrition rate at the moment. It would be incredible if this company doesn’t conduct another round of layoffs. Low pay. I left before the performance reviews but my friends tell me that promotions and pay increases were based on favoritism and perceived value of the team/people. Pay discrepancy is jarring across research teams. Pay is determined by base + locality but there are people with the same title where the one with lowest locality pay makes more than the one with the highest locality pay. Helped as an interviewer and noticed lots of discrimination against women and POC during the interview process by senior managers. This was before the hiring freeze that started last spring. Lots of workplace harassment and bullying by more senior staff who are friends with the founder Tom (not my experience but that of my coworkers in the headquarters in Burlingame). In office experience is quite unrewarding and not engaging for junior staff who are looking for opportunities to learn and network. Culture is very cold and dead.

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Acumen Response
1y
We appreciate hearing your perspective, especially given the helpful, constructive approach you have taken in pointing out ways we might improve or enhance the employee experience across AcuSPHERE. Thank you for taking time to offer such a well-rounded and solutions-oriented review. We wish you the best in your career.

Explore other reviews about Acumen

5.0
Apr 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The work is intellectually engaging and gave me many chances to grow technically. - I learned a lot from talented coworkers and appreciated being part of projects with real-world relevance. - There was also good exposure to translating technical work into clear, usable takeaways.

Cons

- The work can be intense and detail-heavy, and deadlines can sometimes feel demanding. - Priorities may shift quickly, which can make it hard to plan ahead. - At times, the volume of revisions and fast pace can be stressful.

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Acumen Response
2mo
We've heard that this type of feedback is helpful to new graduates and prospective applicants, particularly your perspective on the pros and cons of working here. Please continue to share your experiences during your career journey with us. We wish you the best!
2.0
Jul 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You will work with some really nice and lovely people. That is the only pro I can say about this chaotic and disorganized company (this is the most professional way I can describe this company, but know I would like to use much harsher language).

Cons

- Management is disorganized and ineffective. You would think that after 30 years, they would have established systems to avoid negative financial situations. - The C-suite doesn't care about employees; their main focus is on ensuring they and their friends make money. - There are practically no incentives to work here. You will never receive a pay raise, you won't get a meaningful promotion, and you will constantly find yourself doing the work of entry-level employees. - Following two major layoffs within two years, the company made minimal changes to improve its poor financial status. They continue to employ some of the least effective and most costly employees, simply hoping that things will improve. That's not how business operates, but it seems to be the mentality since they predominantly hire their friends.

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Acumen Response
18h
Thank you for sharing your perspective from your time employed at Acumen. We regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we acknowledge that the recent layoffs have been difficult for everyone. Your feedback is taken seriously and will be shared with our leadership team as we continue evaluating where processes can be strengthened. We appreciate your input and wish you the very best in your future endeavors.
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