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Howard Hughes Communities

Engaged Employer

Howard Hughes Communities reviews

3.7

64% would recommend to a friend

(159 total reviews)
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David O’Reilly

87% approve of CEO

62% positive business outlook

Howard Hughes Communities has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 159 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Howard Hughes Communities employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Real Estate industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

159 reviews
1.0
Sep 27, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Attractive Galleria location. Frequent "Ordering-In" of dinner (explained below), and jean fridays.

Cons

Extremely high turnover in the Accounting / Finance area (especially Corporate office). No work life balance. Unfortunately, accomplishment is measured on how many hours you put in (not the actual work performed). Dinner is ordered in just about every night and it's a big deal if you leave before 7pm (this is considered early). Employee morale is as low as I've witnessed at any organization of this size. Most people who are still hanging around are just waiting for their share grants to vest before they bolt. The joke of the place is that it's akin to Shawshank Prison (yes the movie). Existing employees actually joke when they see new hires join the team as they take bets on how many weeks the new person will last. **Last note - the financial systems are disjointed relics of the past. Running legacy software that is over 15 years old. It's really nothing short of a circus. If you are a candidate thinking of joining HHC, join at your own risk. My advice would be to make sure you ask them very detailed questions during the interview (and don't accept an offer until they let you interview with a couple peer level employees). Ask them pointed questions about the high rate of turnover (i.e.make them explain and defend it). Hope I can save some bright candidates from making a career move they'll soon regret.

1.0
Jul 30, 2020

Stay Away

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The salary. They will offer you a higher than average salary, but the hours worked are not worth it. You will be exposed to everything encompassing accounting to be able to put on your resume to help you get a new job. I’m not sure why we have other departments when it’s apparently Property Accountings responsibility.

Cons

The hours. The amount of hours you will work will have your hourly rate close to or less than minimum wage. There is no work/life balance. Management says to bring concerns to them, but nothing will change for the good. The changes made only create more work and add stress. Constant changes that are not communicated. No one does everything the same. One person can be told to do it this way because that’s what they want, but it is not communicated to the group. Managers that don’t know what they’re doing. Everything falls on Property Accounting so be ready to take the blame. No one has answers for the proper way to complete tasks which leads to things being done incorrectly and management doesn’t seem to care. If you’re smart enough to be reading this then be smart enough to not even apply.

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Howard Hughes Communities Response
5y
Thank you for taking the time to give us this review and feedback. We value your honesty and appreciate you sharing your experience with us. Though we strive to promote a positive working environment, it sounds from your remarks that there are opportunities for improvements. Please know your comments have been shared with leadership. If you'd like to provide further feedback, please email culture@howardhughes.com. Thank you again for your review.
1.0
Jun 25, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company has some lofty ideals about what it could one day be - if only it tried to embody those words. Compensation and benefits are on par for the industry. The New York office has a beautiful view.

Cons

We can learn a lot about a company from the way it has handled the COVID-19 crisis. HHC chose to let go of most of its employees, and then send them an email bragging about a "generous donation" made to a charity that "is prepared to provide financial assistance with rent, mortgage, utility and food" while acknowledging that this charity provides no individual grants and this donation is functionally useless to the jobless employees fearful for their families' futures. To add insult to injury, attached to the email was instructions on how to apply for food stamps. This is typical of operations of this company. The white, male leadership makes unilateral, ill-advised decisions without regard for the advice of those hired to help them steer the company in the right direction. Middle management acts as a barrier between the employees and leadership. Communication is a failure at every level: meetings are held to distribute old, contradictory, or useless information, while useful information is kept secret and employees are challenged to prove why they need critical details to do their jobs. Meanwhile, the nepotistic patriarchy is kept alive and well by creating special positions for the sons of white leadership. Well-designed lip service is paid to social causes on social media (when the lawyers and financial projections have determined it’s safe) but take a look at the leadership – that will speak louder than any pretty, convenient words. If you end up on an interview here, don’t let them read their values off a poster. Ask them how they demonstrate those values. For me, they couldn’t.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 159 Reviews

Glassdoor has 181 Howard Hughes Communities reviews submitted anonymously by Howard Hughes Communities employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Howard Hughes Communities is right for you.