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      Harvard University

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      Harvard University reviews

      4.2

      84% would recommend to a friend

      (4,067 total reviews)

      Alan Garber

      83% approve of CEO

      69% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Harvard University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,067 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Harvard University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      4K reviews
      2.0
      Sep 14, 2022

      Extremely Political Organization --Watch Your Back at All Times

      Managing director
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Highly political organization with exceptionally decentralized decision-making . This results in deeply entrenched silos that operate independently and without a common set of shared norms or values.

      Cons

      Passive-aggressive culture with a firmly established caste system. Faculty are firmly at the top of the organizational hierarchy and administrative staff are at the bottom. Was once told by a distinguished faculty member of organizational leadership , "Do not think--you are not paid to think." Lots of discussion around promoting career mobility, while behind the scenes senior leadership refers to employee movement as "poaching" of talent. HR is ineffective, at best, and generally of very questionable ethics and integrity. If you're seeking to make an impact on an organization and be treated fairly based on your abilities and contributions--look somewhere else. If you're looking to duck and cover your way to an eventual retirement (while constantly CYA) this is the HBS case study.

      3.0
      Aug 15, 2022

      Prestigious Packaging, Disappointing Contents

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      A highly recognized name, beautiful campus, and okay benefits.

      Cons

      Too many layers of bureaucracy, lack of basic organization, and salary. Most of the pay problems, though, stem from a union that is basically just an extension of central adminstration. During the start of the current economic downturn, they negotiated a 2% raise and were offended when we said that loses us money. The university is also great at touting what organizations should or shouldn't do for employees, and then doing the opposite. In addition, there is the antiquated belief that every unit should exist on its own (every tub on its own bottom). What this does, though, is create systems that don't communicate or share data. Getting information is a painfully grueling task. I expected better from this institution.

      Viewing 76 - 78 of 4,067 Reviews
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      ReviewsHarvard University reviews

      Glassdoor has 4,614 Harvard University reviews submitted anonymously by Harvard University employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Harvard University is right for you.