Positive Reviews Highlight Management Koolaid - Anonymous employee Vanguard Employee Review

1.0
Jun 5, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

10% 401k contribution plus 4% match after one year. Difficult to be fired though demotions are a possibility. Need bodies on the phones!

Cons

Very low base pay. Company highlights "total compensation", which is still low. Job grade restructuring eliminated bonuses and made 2000+ jobs hourly. Raises due to promotion have declined from 10% to 7%. Outsourcing is being chosen over paying to keep internal talent. (Consultants are earning their paycheck) For phone roles you will be micromanaged and underpaid. Taking 5 minutes too long at lunch or on break will lead to a discussion. Leading company in investment cash flows but "bending the cost curve" is more important than employee engagement. (Has been declining steadily). Management is more helpful on paper than in reality, too concerned about tarnishing their "personal brand" than fighting for their employees. Other roles are understaffed and experienced employees move to new roles without passing on knowledge. Can lead to a loss of human capital.

Explore other reviews about Vanguard

5.0
Mar 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Vanguard covered housing for the summer for almost completely free and the people you work with will actively try to develop you.

Cons

The work you do (and therefore your overall experience) can be highly team dependent and team assignment seems to be random

3.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Awesome coworkers for young professionals. Paid licensing for a few months.

Cons

Micromanagement is out of control. Incompetent team leaders who are obsessed with power and metrics. Back to back calls, limited support, and nearly impossible effective communication between departments. Zero time to cultivate culture because you are taking calls every second of the day except for 30min/1hr lunch and two 15 minute breaks. You’re locked into your role for over a year (apprenticeship for around 60 days, then a year after promotion to associate) and your team leaders will not approve internal applications unless you are “eligible”.

4
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