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Harvard University

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Prestigious Packaging, Disappointing Contents - Anonymous employee Harvard University Employee Review

3.0
Aug 15, 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A highly recognized name, beautiful campus, and okay benefits.

Cons

Too many layers of bureaucracy, lack of basic organization, and salary. Most of the pay problems, though, stem from a union that is basically just an extension of central adminstration. During the start of the current economic downturn, they negotiated a 2% raise and were offended when we said that loses us money. The university is also great at touting what organizations should or shouldn't do for employees, and then doing the opposite. In addition, there is the antiquated belief that every unit should exist on its own (every tub on its own bottom). What this does, though, is create systems that don't communicate or share data. Getting information is a painfully grueling task. I expected better from this institution.

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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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