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Harvard University

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Keep your head down and mouth shut - Staff Assistant III Harvard University Employee Review

1.0
Jul 27, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great health insurance and benefits.

Cons

Minimal training and no mentorship provided. Extreme levels of compartmentalization where you are unable to pursue any work outside of your job description. You will be yelled at if you have any academic or work interests outside of your job description as well. Lots of behind-the-back talk among employees and no direct feedback is ever provided. Unless you are faculty or you have your doctorate, you are unable to provide feedback or have your own opinion about the way things are run. Remember that Harvard has outgrown its status as a university. It is a factory which prides itself on intellect and innovation, yet this could not be any further from the truth.

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5.0
Jul 13, 2026
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CEO approval
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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
Business Outlook

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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