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Harvard University

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Overall very good - Systems Administrator Harvard University Employee Review

4.0
Jul 18, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Harvard attracts intelligent, diverse, multi-talented people. The benefits are first-rate and there is a lot of internal opportunity. Most jobs allow excellent work-life balance. Many opportunities for employee advancement and education.

Cons

Somewhat stovepiped. Experiences at individual departments may vary widely. Some of the central IT departments are slow to adopt new technologies and there's far too much tendency to produce software in-house. Internal projects that run across "tubs" can crawl. There is a huge abyss between faculty and staff.

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5.0
Jul 13, 2026
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Pros

Light work if you have the right team

Cons

Low pay for amount of work

2.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great Union and benefits for non-profits/higher ed. Wonderful colleagues outside of leadership!

Cons

GSD Development and Alumni Relations (under current leadership) is an incredibly toxic work environment. I didn't realize the intensity of the toll it took on my until after leaving, and I am not one to leave a negative review, but as they are hiring for several positions currently, I wish to share words of caution with applicants. Cons: - Absolutely not a safe space for anyone who is Black, brown, trans, queer, working-class, or disabled - 100% top-down direction. No room for personal exploration, initiative, or creativity. - Minimal guidance from leadership - Frequent pivots, even in the late stages of projects - Petty, immature talking behind your back by leadership - No upward mobility unless the Associate Dean or Dean like you - Deeply disingenuous comments, reflections, and feedback from leadership - Complete lack of transparency on direction, goals, etc. - Small mistakes are made cornerstones of performance evaluations, while leadership routinely missteps. Leadership never takes accountability. - Top-down policy decisions, completely lacking detail, thought, and care outside of legal ramifications - Ever-changing in-office requirements

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