BlackRock Reviews

Pros

Great reputation in other companies
Entry level compensation acceptable
Learn to work with limited resources
Learn how to order food late at night

Cons

Compensation much lower than industry average
Recent layoffs mean no security for anyone
Lack of any decent hardware means constant state of emergency
Any long-term visions or plans are always truncated due to emergencies
Politics at the MD level and above are complex and intrude on operations
No one will ever thank for anything you do, no matter how important
Any little mistake you make will be magnified and mentioned at comp/promo time

Advice to Senior Management

Buy some new hardware so that the constant state of emergency subsides long enough to move forward. Thank someone once in a blue moon.

Pros

Some smart people
BlackRock seems to be a winner in the marketplace
If you are a good performer, there is job security
Pay, although I suspect it is skewed heavily in favor of the old guard

Cons

Incompetent 3rd/4th tier management that has survived from Old BlackRock is unpleasant to work with and generally inferior to their BGI peers.
Work/Life balance is a complete joke. Weekends are expected consistently. No night is too late. Technology (supposedly a forte) is ironically dated with no serious plans to change or make any serious investments
Senior management are increasingly at odds. Many times, one can only pick the senior MD that you think will win the argument and hope for the best.

Advice to Senior Management

Many MDs and Directors that add no value were let go last year. This looks to be a job that is just about half done.
Return to the days where you could be confident that everyone operated from the same list of priorities
BlackRock is supposedly a technology leader...sooner or later the lack of technology investment is going to harm our reputation
We've started promoting and training good leaders but even the best ones are burnt out

Pros

Market leader and standard setter in the asset management industry. Ability to have a large network within the organization and engage other business operations.

Cons

Company has become too large, it seems to care more about its shareholders than its employees. Focus on the client is great, but need to focus on employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Find an identity for the newer/larger firm. We have a street reputation as a leader, but internally that feeling is fading.

Pros

Good salary+ good experience + ok duties

Cons

Poor environment+ zero management motivation

Advice to Senior Management

Good place to get your feet wet. Then move up to on other company

Pros

Work is good.
Management encourage to do good work.
Will Learn about financial industry.

Cons

Salary and bonuses are less compare to another company and work you do for company.
Promotion criteria is not clear. You will not be promoted even you work hard. You will be promoted if MD recognize or know you

Advice to Senior Management

Promotion should be clear and fair and should be drived from proformance review not from other unknown factors.If promotion is based on unknown factor, change that factor to known to employees

Pros

Professional development and stable firm.

Cons

Generally a lower margin business relative to Wall Street firms, which is reflected in compensation potential.

Advice to Senior Management

Management is excellent.

Pros

Young, smart, enthusiastic and motivated employees.
Large company, diverse financial product lines, International job opportunities.
Management's desire to identify employee concerns with our corporate environment and help employees to create better, more productive environments.
Good benefit plans and great office space

Cons

Lacking professional development and management training in Seattle office.
Time zone difference with corporate.
More work accross less employees in the past year, with salary freeze

Pros

- Strong co worker relationship
- Opportunity for progression
- Competitive salary

Cons

- Frustratingly siloed
- Communication between departments can be strenuous
- Hieratical

Advice to Senior Management

Lead and develop lid level managment...trust them more.

Pros

Exposure, access to knowledge, fast paced, resume builder

Cons

Work life balance, compensation -everything goes to the stock holders not the employees

Advice to Senior Management

Take care of the people who put in the hours. Weed out mid level managers who are disconnected from the groups they manage.

Pros

Friendly and helpful co-workers: Everyone worked well together and was willing to help out whenever needed.
Independence: My managers really trusted me and allowed me to complete projects on my own, which is saying a lot considering I was a student co-op.

Cons

Most of the work I did was monotonous, so the tasks were became boring very quickly. But as I learned more and finished my daily tasks quicker, my supervisor gave me more interesting work.

Advice to Senior Management

Do not be afraid to hire students with little industry experience (at least for internships and co-ops). I had no industry experience (had not yet even completed any of my finance classes at the time) and I learned a lot and was able to contribute.