Dec 12, 2013
Bridgewater Associates reviews
3.7
58% would recommend to a friend
Nir Bar Dea
65% 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).
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Reviews by job title
593 reviews
5.0
Dec 2, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook
Pros
If you goal is lifelong learning and to be successful in all forums of your life - this is one of the best places in the world to train. There are few places as devoted to understanding you & your development. - People: Some of the most exceptional, talented people you'll ever meet have found their way to Bridgewater. Incredibly humble and authentic on the whole. Many seem to become lifelong relationships. You want to go to work everyday. - Your Development: There are prb few places - let alone corporate companies - on this planet that devote as many resources to understanding you and helping you develop. The open feedback and culture all drive to understand the truth about you and flush out both your strengths and weakness. The understanding is not judgement based - it's incredibly useful. If you are open to taking feedback, you can learn to guardrail against your weaknesses and amplify your strengths. Not criticism- real feedback . - Culture: A unique place. A real meritocracy. Refreshing – no closed door conversations. You will see best practice management principles you read about in books, actually practiced here. Hyper logical, rational thinking. Clarity wins the day. - Opportunities & Work: The things you get to do will blow your mind. From working with famous entrepreneurs , investors, and scientist to working on cutting edge problems. The organization is adaptive and in a constant state of change. Which means you can have incredible impact. Not structured or run like a "hedge fund". More of an institution. Job assignment works on matching you (based on your unique ability profile) to the highest demand "problems to solve. - Perks: There are many. Great healthcare. Attention to details: A bus that goes to and from NY each day, social events, free lunch and breakfast, BBQs during the summer....
Cons
Less Cons, more Considerations: About Bridgewater - Hard to understand organization structure from outside. Within the company there are areas devoted to research, tech, 'client financial advisory', operations... - It’s a very hard gig to land - Read the Principles by Ray Dalio About You - You have to ask good questions, and learn to ask better ones - If you don’t like confronting what you are really like / your ego, may not be the place for you - May encounter very different principles than you've seen in your career. For example "content less management" (e.g. By and large, the idea management is a practice unto itself). - It will take a little while to adapt, and then once you do, you’ll have a hard time working anywhere else. People who leave Bridgewater seem to miss it ( I know I do!)
5.0
Jun 19, 2013
Working here will make you better if you check your ego at the door
Anonymous employee
Current employee, more than 1 year
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook
Pros
- Truly no politics, total transparency and honest conversations - Meritocracy, as far as I can tell - People deeply care about each other - A lot of good feedback, if you are open to it and want to improve - The smartest people you will likely ever work with - A fascinating culture that can be hard to get accustomed to for many, and for some will feel like the best fit in the world - All the obvious benefits of working at the worlds biggest and most successful hedge fund
Cons
- The company has grown quickly and there is likely dead wood and lots of inefficiency due to adaptation. Some departments worse than others and a couple bordering on dysfunctional, although all the key investment departments are ok - The adjustment from traditional business environment can be jarring. No mincing words. - Solid work hours (10-11hrs/avg) or more in some groups - Not clear why its been so hard to get good outside experienced people to come in and have impact
Viewing 544 - 546 of 593 Reviews