Advisory Board Reviews

Pros

The culture is really strong. Great people to work with - all very smart and motivated. The company has a strong strategic vision and has done a nice job of executing against by hiring and acquiring the right people and companies. They are excellent at cultivating relationships with senior executives at healthcare and have great credibility in the market. They are growing, growing, growing!

Cons

The organization is growing very rapidly which makes it tough to manage and maintain the culture from their early days. The DC headquarters truly serves as "the mothership" and they are trying to figure out how to manage folks from different offices in the US. Its historically been tough for them but recent investments show that they are trying to improve this.

Pros

- Good benefits
- Young culture
- Apparently quick promotions

Cons

If you have any sort of intellectual curiosity or work ethic, DO NOT WORK HERE. While the individual jobs are certainly full of inconsistent, soul crushing work, ABC is also highly problematic in how it approaches its clients and overall business infrastructure.

For example, salesmen are called "Managing Directors" and telemarketers are called "Associates." All of this is to trick clients into thinking that the people they are dealing with are more 'important' than they actually are. This is only one example of many ways in which clients at The Advisory Board are manipulated. Due to this, if you work here, you will find yourself in a world of style FAR over substance. The marketing campaign is aggressive and overwhelming. Clients are treated like kings, but all management is concerned with is the bottom line and they will do anything to get it.

Furthermore, there is little to no unity between teams -- because of the intense quota pressure, the attitude is very much "every man for himself". This leads to a contentious, cliquey atmosphere that hinders productivity of the company as a whole.

Advice to Senior Management

ABC could be a good, even great, company if they focused less on how they APPEAR to the outside world and actually made strides to BE what they claim they are. It will boost morale and culture, as well as interactions with clients.

Pros

- Access to the gym in the basement of the DC office
- Good benefits
- Happy hours every few Fridays
- Occasional perks like an extra day off on a long weekend. These happen about once a year.

Cons

If you are interviewing with this company, absolutely make sure to ask what the typical promotion timeline is for your position. Some departments give out promotions for their employees being able to tie their shoes without a diagram, and others don't have promotions to give--at all. If you are in the first kind of department, great! Good for you, you will be able to upgrade your resume periodically and you should go for it. If you are in the second kind of department, get ready for people who have gotten five title upgrades in two years to look down on you and not hide it. I was in a very small department and I was told at every review period that I was "this close" to getting a promotion. This was the most frustrating thing about working there, and I tried to hold out until I could leave with a better title, but eventually I couldn't wait anymore to get out of there.

Younger employees (who make up a huge part of the workforce) have no concept of workplace etiquette or what is acceptable language when speaking to other employees. I had highs and lows in my time at ABC, but the worst part about it was the crushing indignity of being belittled at every turn by employees younger than I was, who had already moved to a position three levels above me. Avoid this experience if you can.

Advice to Senior Management

Add a seminar for email and interpersonal etiquette to the orientation sessions.

Pros

-Hard working, goal oriented, intelligent people
-Lots of attention to career opportunities within the firm
-Multiple opportunities for growth

Cons

-not all teams and managers are created equal
-management is not always coordinated

Advice to Senior Management

Discuss transitions ahead of time and with care

Pros

- Unbeatable benefits
- Great opportunities for career growth in variety of positions within the firm
- Not a "Big Brother"-type company at all
- Introduces you to business concepts and processes quickly. You interact with senior administrators (over the phone) from the getgo.
- Hones your business writing skills
- Good opportunities for professional development through close relationship with your manager and periodic training sessions (such as Excel or public speaking)
- The company just bought everyone new iPads

Cons

- Workload is manageable but can be intense at times
- Compensation could be better
- initial training was somewhat lacking...you really had to learn through trial and error during the first few months.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue doing a great job. Focus on equipping young managers with management skills during their first few weeks on the job.

Pros

Talented coworkers. Rigorous work. Dynamic, young culture.

Balances academic rigor of a think tank with actionable work of a management consultancy.

Cons

There are too many young managers who have yet to grow into their roles/understand how best to coach their direct reports.

Pros

Great learning for fundamental business and professional skills. Great place to start out right after college - fun and young environment.

Cons

There is not a lot of opportunities for advancement and you can feel unappreciated for long hours and hard work.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide and support more advancement opportunities. Value associate level employees more - there is a very obvious discrepancy between how associate level employees are treated in comparison to higher levels.

Pros

Fun office culture, good work-life balance, great sales experience. Promotes internally- a lot of room for advancement within the company. Surrounded by fun, smart people from great schools

Cons

I felt that the position was somewhat mis-marketed. "Marketing Associate" as a title is a misnomer, and during the recruiting/interviewing process I did not feel that the difference between sales and marketing position was established.

Pros

Fun place to work. Good opportunities for career growth

Cons

At times Management positions have been handed to folks who are at early age of their Professional ladder.

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

- young crowd
- ambitious people
- fun place

Cons

- management is immature
- no a lot of training

Advice to Senior Management

Try to be a little open for change