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Bridgewater Associates

Engaged Employer

Bridgewater Associates reviews

3.7

58% would recommend to a friend

(593 total reviews)
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Nir Bar Dea

66% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Bridgewater Associates has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 593 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Bridgewater Associates employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Financial Services industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

593 reviews
4.0
Nov 15, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The sincerity. Nothing is a mere veneer to make something look good. Everyone tries to live up to the principles about how we're going to work with each other, even when they're difficult to follow through. The rules about ethical business conduct are carefully enforced. When you receive praise, you know you've earned it; when you receive criticism, you know it's not spiteful. The work environment is refreshingly straightforward. You always know where you stand. The standards. Whatever work you are doing, it is expected to be the very best of that kind of work. No job is without challenge - success is always hard won. Every project becomes an opportunity to learn, and you evolve quickly. You have the support and collaboration of all the people you work with, pushing you forward faster than you'll be comfortable with, always stretching your limits. The people. You are surrounded by people who are incredibly intelligent, extraordinarily quick on their feet, and dead serious about their work ethic. You are never be the smartest person in the room - and you are driven to new levels of ingenuity trying to earn your place. Yet you are welcomed, encouraged, and inspired rather than disheartened.

Cons

The work. You have to make sure that work you are doing here is meaningful to you, because the incredibly high standards will only make your doubts about the worth of your job more stark. You can only maintain the levels of energy necessary to live up to the challenges of Bridgewater if you love what you're doing. There's no getting by here, no way to to be just "okay" with the way things are; you have to reach for your passion, or burn out. The balance - or rather, the lack of it. It is extremely difficult to maintain reasonable work-life distinction here. You are expected to devote everything you have to the work. It uses you up; there is no room for secondary concerns.

2.0
Aug 21, 2015

IN and OUT

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

BW Pays overmarket because they can't attract people otherwise

Cons

turnover rate exceeds 50%, most people leave within 2 years, politics in the management ranks, very personal attacks, people abusing the principles to fight their way ahead, terrible technology stack

1.0
Oct 15, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

you get fresh cafeteria food for lunch, but it becomes boring very quickly and everyone gains 10-15 lbs due to over-eating since it's free.

Cons

this place is truly a hypocrisy; everything they say in the principle about trust in truth and radical transparency is so untrue and the opposite of what they do. Everyone jumps to conclusions and judgments almost immediately with no open-mindedness, discovery for truth and independent thinking. What is even worse is the immediate conclusions/judgments are always an assassination on a persons character/values/morals and oddly enough everyone always agrees with the person asserting the conclusions. It is the weirdest thing I have ever experienced and wish for no one else to ever experience this. It's such a unprofessional atmosphere too... everyone cursing, commenting about other and talking about others negatively behind there backs (but people at Bridgewater call this 'triangulating'.. to act like they aren't gossiping... but it's the same thing!). This place is borderline inhumane with the constant harassment and assassination and attacks on people's character, morals and values.

Viewing 49 - 51 of 593 Reviews

Glassdoor has 679 Bridgewater Associates reviews submitted anonymously by Bridgewater Associates employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Bridgewater Associates is right for you.