***Data administrator***
Let me first start by saying that I fully appreciate that there's only so much you can expect from a low-paid, low-level, unskilled job like a 'data administrator'. However, no matter how low your expectations are, CoStar will inevitably leave you disappointed - staff moral is truly abysmal. I have worked in numerous other low-level positions, and none have compelled me to write a review about them out of disgust.
Expectations at CoStar can be unrealistically high at times. CoStar will tell you from the outset that they expect the work to be carried out to a certain standard, as the quality of their research is what distinguishes them from their competitors, and the reason clients pay through the nose for it. In reality, CoStar absolutely foster an environment where cutting corners and producing often inaccurate work is encouraged, by financially rewarding those who input the most data. CoStar do not and will not acknowledge that quality and quantity are often inversely related, and that conducting thorough research can be time-consuming. Your performance is also measured by your QA score – this is somewhat farcical, as it’s not uncommon to go days at a time without having your work checked, and when it is, it’s usually only a randomly-selected fraction of what you’ve produced. This means that not only are your targets often unattainable, but your QA score boils down to pot luck.
The biggest problem with CoStar however is the staff turnover rate. Another post on here suggests a rate of 60% of ‘research executives’ failing to last two years at CoStar. From my experience of the data admin role, that figure will be closer to 90% - whilst the position has only existed for circa ten months, very few of the original team survive today, and many others have came and gone in that time. There are regularly emails going round advertising positions, as staff will jump ship at any given opportunity. This is widespread in CoStar – it’s genuinely not uncommon to have a new manager every month. Whilst there should be an element of consistency regardless of who is in charge, there seems to be an inevitability to the flow of contradictory information arising from this managerial merry-go-round.
Managers tend to be promoted from within to plug the holes – although I personally had not known any prior to their promotion, by all accounts the personality changes witnessed is frightening. One manager in particular fired three people in the space of around a month - including one on their first day in charge, in blatant attempt to forge a reputation. This was out of a team of about 20. This has seen moral hit rock-bottom, as there is the constant lingering fear of dismissal. One colleague carries his pre-written notice around with him, in a bid to pre-empt any firing. Others have been sacked recently for some ridiculously trivial matters - if you hand your notice in, you can expect to be let go prior to working your notice. The attitude of managers to staff is deeply concerning – do not expect any support from your manager, as they’re simply seeking self-preservation/progression tactics, and will gladly do so at your expense. We genuinely work with the very real fear of being let go at any given time.
Echoing the sentiment of another review on here – CoStar is essentially a call centre. You are expected to make calls in data admin positions, but ‘research executives’ are glorified call centre operators. Emails are circulated from management encouraging more and more calling seeking leads. All calls are monitored, your emails are DEFINITELY read, and screenshots taken remotely.
