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Harvard University

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Tough culture for one of the finest higher ed institutions - Anonymous employee Harvard University Employee Review

2.0
Jun 3, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working with my clients and colleagues was a very enjoyable experience, most of the time. There are definitely people here who like to throw around titles to get what they want, but I would say in the entry level and mid-management positions the people are great.

Cons

The leadership at the Law School supports a culture in which managers are right regardless of the situation. This makes it difficult for those of us who are great at what we do, but have a manager who is in the leadership position because of time served, but not necessarily ability to manage and lead. My manager seems to be a good person, but is a terrible manager. He does not listen to others when he does not agree with them, he is afraid to make tough decisions, and he plays favorites. From what I hear from my colleagues, in other departments, they have managers who are the same, but even when going to HR for support, you are basically told to deal with it. In addition to the above, there are plenty of people who are just not good at their jobs, but they have been here forever and no one makes them do what they need to so they can have the necessary skills to carry out their roles. People like this are protected, while high-performers are forced to pick up the slack until they eventually tire of doing everyone else's job and leave.

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5.0
Jul 13, 2026
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Pros

Light work if you have the right team

Cons

Low pay for amount of work

2.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great Union and benefits for non-profits/higher ed. Wonderful colleagues outside of leadership!

Cons

GSD Development and Alumni Relations (under current leadership) is an incredibly toxic work environment. I didn't realize the intensity of the toll it took on my until after leaving, and I am not one to leave a negative review, but as they are hiring for several positions currently, I wish to share words of caution with applicants. Cons: - Absolutely not a safe space for anyone who is Black, brown, trans, queer, working-class, or disabled - 100% top-down direction. No room for personal exploration, initiative, or creativity. - Minimal guidance from leadership - Frequent pivots, even in the late stages of projects - Petty, immature talking behind your back by leadership - No upward mobility unless the Associate Dean or Dean like you - Deeply disingenuous comments, reflections, and feedback from leadership - Complete lack of transparency on direction, goals, etc. - Small mistakes are made cornerstones of performance evaluations, while leadership routinely missteps. Leadership never takes accountability. - Top-down policy decisions, completely lacking detail, thought, and care outside of legal ramifications - Ever-changing in-office requirements

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