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Stanford University

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Graduate School of Business - Associate Director Stanford University Employee Review

2.0
Feb 18, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Beautiful campus, amazing students, surrounded by bright people (staff, faculty), access to thought leaders. Great mission, and prestigious institution. Can be a career launch pad. Good benefits.

Cons

Universities have a lot of stakeholders, faculty come first, followed by students. Staff are a low priority. Highly political work environment, backstabbing occurs regularly without impunity, very difficult to get promoted particularly for women, openly sexist (and generally incompetent) HR staff. Very high churn as they can't keep up with the potential of their talent. Only exception is for GSB alums who can fail their way up at will. Work life balance varies greatly depending on your department/manager and job function, but in my experience is not valued. Values are all talk, rare that they are adhered to in action (the Dean stepping down is the tip of the iceberg). Huge morale issues.

Explore other reviews about Stanford University

5.0
Jul 17, 2026
Anonymous temporary employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very nice people on team

Cons

Limited flexible with scheduling hours

4.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Overall, Stanford is an amazing place to work. The environment and benefits can't be beat. You can go for a swim on your lunch break or a walk around the lake. The recreational classes and opportunities are usually great. Eating at the dining hall, although pricy, is a real treat.

Cons

If you're not senior management, faculty, development, etc., Stanford's pay has not kept up with the cost of living in the area. If you come for a job from outside of California, be prepared for a real shock when you see the kinds of rentals and the prices. Beauty has a price. You will not be able to live near campus as the average employee. Unless you're really familiar with the traffic in California, don't look at places that you think are an hour away, because they'll be two hours away by car. And you'll have to pay to park on campus, so not driving at all is your best option. Many administrative jobs are held by partners of people working in tech or faculty, because that's the only way you can afford to live there. If you don't have a partner making $200K+, you'll be taking the train or bus for an hour. If you're thinking about buying a house and you don't have a suitcase of cash, that sound you're hearing is my laughter. It's also important to realize that the working conditions across campus vary by unit. Working at the Graduate School of Business will seem more like a corporate job; working in Medicine could be brutal; and the treatment you will get can vary by department.

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