AvalonBay Reviews

Pros

Very good company, has a lot of benefits for its employees, good perks, health plan, 401 etc. Has great opportunity to move up within the company as they look at their current employees to fill positions with before hiring an outsider. Compensation is also good comparing with similar employers.

Cons

The only thing i can complain about would be lack of common sense with some co-workers. Time off also could be a little higher than 2 weeks.

Advice to Senior Management

Be fair, realistic, be simple. Do not bother everyone about the smallest things that happen at work. Also respect lunch time!

Pros

They are stable and most people are nice and positive to work with

Cons

Limited growth for some employees

Pros

Stable company with respectable core values.

Cons

The integrity of middle management is a joke, they are a corrupt and self-serving group of people. Threats are used to keep people below them from speaking up.

Advice to Senior Management

Upper management needs to take an unbiased look at middle management and be prepared to act on the what they find.

Pros

medical coverage
401k
sick time , flex time , vacation time
training
sales experience

Cons

1)Cleaning vacant apartments and cleaning move in ready apartments
2) There is plently of seniority / podded communities and hardly any growth potential.
3) the company implements new formats on how to get things done all the time -thus you are memorizing all the new ways of going about your day and as soon as you get it - guess what - there is another way of doing the same job.

Advice to Senior Management

Focusing on marketing is great but it would also be great for them to implement a solid internal structure starting from the maintenance team up to the community managers.

Pros

Flexible (if your going to school), great working hours during the week, Awesome benefits, amazing bonus opportunities

Cons

Takes forever to move-up in a management position

Advice to Senior Management

Best, advice if starting as a Leasing Consultant, float to other properties and get to know other operations.

Pros

Discount when you rent an apartments. Good for low income family if you get a job here. healthcare if good.

Cons

Management are not diverse enough to see the potential of employees and customer service is not a focus for them.

Advice to Senior Management

Management are not diverse enough to see the potential of employees and customer service is not a focus for them.

Pros

Networking, vendors, customers, residents, co workers
social aspects
motivation
bonus driven, side bonus for each lease you get per length of lease

Cons

pay could be better, overall the job is decent but wish they would pay a bit more to make the job even better

Advice to Senior Management

I wish we could have the ability to have more responsibilty. The company is getting to department oriented.

Pros

Great benefits, decent pay. Human resources is very responsive.

Cons

Management is so "conservative" (cheap) that they are totally unwilling to work with people regarding scheduling and seem to prefer firing and hiring new employees to being flexible and making it a comfortable working environment.

Advice to Senior Management

See above.

Pros

Excellent opportunities for advancement based on performance. Seniority is rewarded, but performance will get you further. Ambition and an eagerness to learn will get you ahead, especially if you do not have a college degree. The company has certainly been poised to stay afloat during these trying economic times, and that bodes well for job security. I only left the company due to my fiance taking a job in another city, otherwise I would still be with Avalon today.

Cons

The transition to become more retail oriented makes the negatives of the job even more glaring. The hours and inflexibility in accommodations for weekends was just beginning to take place during my departure. This, in my opinion, makes the stress of being on-site even more frustrating as the employees have been making even more concessions for the benefits of residents. By creating "Senior" Community Managers and "podding" smaller community's, they have taken away some opportunity for advancement, but this makes certain that only the best will move ahead (which is not a bad thing).

Advice to Senior Management

Avalon is obviously doing a lot of things right, but the changes in on-site policies (re: hours) does not lend itself to holding on to great talent. Retail type environments will only lead to retail type help. Understandably, the direction seems to be heading towards less sales/management on-site and more of a complete concierge/resident service team. Otherwise, my time with Avalon was truly Time Well Spent.

Pros

Great pay! You opinion usually counts and is heard from senior management.

Cons

You somtimes have to work 50 plus hours a week.

Advice to Senior Management

Need more vacation time! Comparable companies offer a better vacation bank.