Hewitt Associates Reviews

Pros

Great Flexibility! Great work environment!

Cons

Old Technology (Lotus Notes, SAS, Mainframe).

Advice to Senior Management

Start listening to some of the ideas of workers that have been there for a while.

Pros

It is a very Employee friendly organization

Cons

The work culture seems to be degrading at a rapid pace

Advice to Senior Management

Attrition can be controlled otherwise, not essential to bring in people that do not have relevant work experience or skill set.

Pros

Pay, telecommuting/work at home options are available, alot of money to throw at technology, people are great to work with - everyone says that the people are the best thing about Hewitt and they are right.

Cons

When I began there, Hewitt was thought of as an elite place to work and it was. Over the 5 years I spent there, I slowly watched it turn into a Fortune 500 sweat shop that was cut throat and a place where new leaders could make a mark and move on leaving a trail of issues in the wake.

Advice to Senior Management

Take a look back to the old days. People didn't leave, the firm had a strong portfolio, layoffs where few and far between if at all, employees felt valued.

Pros

Hewitt considers employees as associates, which is to say, we are all in this together and you can be yourself, not a brain washed "Hewitter." Individuality is welcomed and understood to be a need for a strong and growing company. Managers and executives don't want or need mini "Me's", so to speak.

Hewitt cares about employees (associates mind you) and the benefits offered are the best I've seen in my years of employment. They are big on automation and efficiency and have advancement opportunities if that is what you desire (relocation may be required). It is a big company and functions accordingly. Some companies are big, but continue to function as a small overly cultural and deeply unethical entity with politics burning at its core, but Hewitt is not one of those companies.

If it wasn't important and necessary for me to move back home, I would still be there today. Loved it!! My manager was also GREAT! She could be tough, but not in a bad way and very knowledgeable. She worked just as hard as her direct and indirect reports, if not harder.

I left the company mid-year 2008, but there was no selection for that year.

Cons

While salaries are competitive at Hewitt, a new employee coming in to Hewitt needs to negotiate the highest salary possible. Once in the door, you may not receive the increases that you may feel you deserve or are entitled.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't get me wrong, I love having information at my finger tips; however, it can be a bit much and some may find it difficult to navigate, locate or understand the data presented. Such an individual may need to contact a representative directly for specific questions and guidance.

Representatives of Hewitt should keep this in mind when a direct question is asked of them and not direct the associate to the portal.

Pros

Good benefits. Balance between work and home.

Cons

Use to outsource a lot of jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Look at the talent you have in the company.

Pros

1.Work culture in this organization is good
2.Benefits being provided are at par with any other organization
3.Quite professional atmosphere

Cons

1.Salaries provided are not competitive

Pros

benefits, people, commute, exposure, pay

Cons

management, growth, opportunity, advancement , leadership

Pros

Good Benefits! Lots of time off. Wellness center on site, some paid holidays. There is room to move up, but can be a difficult process.

Cons

Opportunities to move up, but can be slow, and company doesn't necessarily hire the best of more qualified people. Management doesn't care much about people, cares more about the bottom line.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat the people with respect and courtesy, and they will take pride in their work, and will want the company to meet goals.

Pros

- Flexible schedules
- Lots of vacation time
- Great benefits
- Good place to start out of college
- Well respected in the industry
- Very supportive of community charities

Cons

- I worked with some great people until about the last year or two and got stuck with a team of horrible people and despite every effort to post for a new job couldn't get out.
- I thought I was paid well until I started applying for other jobs and everyone was concerned they couldn't pay me as well given my experience, and then come to find out they were able to offer a lot higher than my salary was.
- I worked about 70 hours a week and only got negative feedback (very negative), even though I was working that much since no one else was capable of doing it. Very disengaging!
- Tons of layoffs, and the people not getting laid off were all wishing they were next.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to do a sweep of the managers to get feedback from their reports. I always heard about people having bad managers and never believed the things that went on until it happened to me. It's funny how I never was asked for formal feedback on that team's managers when I had to do performance reviews for all my previous managers. When I joined the team, some of my old coworkers told me to watch my back since these people are horrible, so it is definitely a pattern of behavior that needs to be stopped. But instead these people keep getting promoted while the really good workers leave the company.

Pros

Good benefits, large corporate environment has its perks, the name does hold weight in the corporate world when looking for a new position outside the firm, several resources at your fingertips, good professional experience for those in the early stages of their careers

Cons

- Pay is below market
- Terrible opportunities for advancement
- Graduate degrees are not appreciated like they should be
- Easy to get stuck in your position for years and years
- Upper management has your back as long as you conform to their expectations. Once you start to venture out, you turn in to a black sheep
- Long hours with no overtime pay
- Culture has changed drastically since going public and is changing for the worse following the merger with Aon
- Hard work is under-appreciated and this is evident at the time of promotions and performance reviews
- People with high school diplomas are in the same position as people with under-graduate and graduate degrees.
- Extremely high attrition

Advice to Senior Management

Increase base pay for your employees and reward as appropriate. Encourage professional development and create a corporate structure that is designed to retain the best of the best. Executives like to preach that Aon Hewitt is the best in the industry but they do not treat their employees like so.