Achievement First reviews

3.0

35% would recommend to a friend

(998 total reviews)
avatar

Fatimah Barker

39% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Achievement First has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 998 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Achievement First employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

998 reviews
4.0
Jun 30, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working in Network Support, the people I work with are awesome. I've made some good friends here and I'm happy to come to work every day. My managers have been great in my development, in that they actually care that I learn and grow with them. I've been with other companies who never cared about my development, so working here is a breath of fresh air. While we aren't 100% on everything yet, I am happy to see we are a growing organization with the desire to learn and improve. Benefits are better than I've ever had in any job. For Network support, it's 3 weeks of paid vacation days and nearly 2 weeks over the Winter Break - that's fantastic! The job includes health, dental and vision, a 403b and transportation help too (i.e., pre-tax deductions from your paycheck for an unlimited metrocard).

Cons

Work-life balance is tough - a lot of people work too much and sometimes we are made to feel like if you aren't working hard, then you aren't meeting the standard set. I feel that this has been voiced however, and that it's hopefully getting better. Additionally, I feel like promotions are tough, unless you've been with the organization at least 2 years. Not enough credit is given to an employee who hasn't been there that long. If you have the skills to jump up a level, but not the longevity just yet, I think that it's important to show value in that, because it's a great way to retain as well.

4.0
Jun 15, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Formal professional development process which ensures that I rapidly learned many new skills. Everyone at this company cares about kids and doing what's best for them. It is a fun place to work with fun people to work with.

Cons

There are some serious work-life balance issues here. The school is not run efficiently and has an "everything is urgent/important" mindset and too much work for anyone to finish all of it. Everyone is tired.

4.0
Apr 9, 2014

Hard work, but tons of learning and development

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Learning and development: Never have I had more people invested in my professional growth. All of my managers over my time at Achievement First have set up detailed plans for my long-term growth and talked with me about it frequently. I have been challenged, and have developed my skills dramatically. Mission: Achievement First never sways from its focus on kids. It's always clear how every decision made is leading towards a better experience for our students. Reflection and adaptation: This is the most open, honest and reflective group of people I have ever met. They own when we are not meeting our goals, and make smart adjustments to get us back on track. I love the deep thinking that addresses the problems we face and the amount of energy that goes into solving them.

Cons

Growing pains: Achievement First is pushing to grow to scale and that's leading to some difficulties. Our internal communication is not as strong or as efficient as it should be. Messaging can be too complex and it can be difficult to figure out what applies to you or not. I have heard buzz that this problem is being address and am excited to see what solutions are posed. Work-life balance: Many people at Achievement First get incredible amounts of joy from their work, and therefore work all the time. That's great for our students! However, it can be difficult to shut off when you're receiving multiple emails late at night and on the weekends. Here we all have to develop our own balance, and as a younger professional it can be difficult to find models for the appropriate way to balance between work and personal life.

Viewing 979 - 981 of 998 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,020 Achievement First reviews submitted anonymously by Achievement First employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Achievement First is right for you.