Pros
Harbourvest is a very fast-growing firm with a ton of future potential. Every day there are new funds, new investors, new projects to work on. The company gives you the opportunity to work in certain areas if you express interest. In terms of compensation, the firm offers a very competitive package including a high annual bonus and great retirement perks (401K match and pension plan). In general, its a great place to stay long-term. The bonus levels increase every year you stay, so even if you aren't getting promoted every year or two, your take-home pay is still increasing considerably each year. Also, with the exception of the past year, hours are very reasonable, generally 40 hours per week. Due to recent turnover and process changes, its been between 45-50 lately depending on the week, but I think this (hopefully) is a short-term increase.
Cons
My biggest complaint is the general chaotic nature of the work-day. I'd say this is due to a combination of turnover, systems improvements, and increase in ad-hoc tasks for investors (that generally become priority). While everyone has a core set of responsibilities to do in terms of quarterly tasks, there are many side projects and investor requests that take up a significant chunk of time. These ad hoc tasks have increased significantly over the past few years, making it harder and harder to focus on our main responsibilities. At the same time, there is never really any consensus on what priorities actually are. One day you'll be focusing on a certain task deemed to be priority, then midway through the day you are told to shift to something different and have it done by the end of the day. Then midway through that task your priorities are changed yet again. This happens all the time and it becomes frustrating. It leads to a very stressful environment when it really doesn't need to be. This also results in a rushed product that probably has more errors than if we were given a more reasonable amount of time to complete it. Despite this negative part of my review, I really do think the company is a great place to work. I just think due to the fast growth of the firm, there's been some growing pains that have made things a bit more stressful than they should be. But that can also be a good sign. I have hopes that this will improve in the coming year, so I don't think this is a long-term change. That is why I still would recommend this company to anyone seeking employment in private equity. But the reality is right now the work is much more stressful/rushed than it has been historically, so I feel the need to be honest in that regard.