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    Advisory Board Reviews

    Updated January 20, 2019
    914 reviews

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    3.4
    StarStarStarStarStar
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    Approve of CEO
    Advisory Board CEO and Director Robert W. Musslewhite
    Robert W. Musslewhite
    537 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Good diversity and respect for work/life balance" (in 138 reviews)

    • "Great benefits including 21 days off" (in 55 reviews)

    Cons

    • "The work/life balance is the trade off" (in 71 reviews)

    • "Pay has gotten a bit better in the last couple years but was extremely low especially for entry-level employee" (in 35 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. Helpful (1)

      "Sorry to see it go"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Senior Lead Data Scientist in Austin, TX
      Former Employee - Senior Lead Data Scientist in Austin, TX
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      The best part about ABC was the people. I worked alongside the best and brightest I had ever worked with in 30+ years in IT. The Austin office was really beautiful and well located.

      Cons

      The company was acquired by United Healthcare in mid-2017 and my division was axed. Otherwise, the worst thing about ABC (at least the Austin office) was the coffee, which was mediocre at best.

      Advice to Management

      I really, truly wish you had stayed independent. I have looked at the job listings at the company that acquired you, and nothing seems as compelling as the position I had when it was ABC.

    2. "Flexible work environment but growth potential depends on your manager"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Senior Analyst in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Senior Analyst in Washington, DC
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Great work/life balance
      Passionate, intelligent coworkers

      Cons

      Too much focus on expediency rather than quality
      Low salary
      Growing pains leading to disorganization
      Management is a mixed bag, partially due to high turnover

    3. "It's what you make it"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Consulting Analyst in Washington, DC
      Current Employee - Consulting Analyst in Washington, DC
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Advisory Board full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Flexible work options, fast-paced environment, mission-driven

      Cons

      Recent acquisition causing change/unknown circumstances

      Advice to Management

      Communicate more broadly

    4. "Homogenous, Disrespectful Leadership, and Underpaid"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Research Analyst in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Research Analyst in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      The research division somehow baits really smart young folk who are trying to improve healthcare. There's a huge learning curve when you start--and there's a demand to work harder than you ever have, with no guidance--but you'll learn a ton in a short amount of time.

      Cons

      The research division analysts are bright and overqualified for their roles/pay. They work harder than any of leadership--and are treated terribly, with little access to mentorship and insights into team/vertical strategy. If you don't look and sound like the cookie cutter consultant and outshine an analyst class of exclusively top tier graduates--you'll have 0 luck here.

      Advice to Management

      Get rid of terrible research managers

    5. "Great company!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Current Employee - Business Analyst
      Current Employee - Business Analyst

      I have been working at Advisory Board full-time

      Pros

      Fun place to work, always changing

      Cons

      Young, ever changing. Fast paced.

    6. "Scam for college graduates who are interested in health care -this is a cold calling job"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Sales Associate in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Sales Associate in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board part-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      I loved who I worked with. The company is essentially full of young talent that is very smart and likes to have fun. There used to be fun events under the Advisory Board budget, but those stopped when the Optum budget took over.
      Lots of vacation time - 23 days.

      Cons

      There is a constant shifting of people. A number of well-performing executives were fired because they were the top paid. There went a large number of the firms relationships. Also, this company does a great job of luring in college students who are interested in health care. They promise you'll learn a great deal about hospital organizations and build these great relationships with executives. They're lying! You are basically a glorified administrative assistant and cold caller. Depending on your department, you're basically there to schedule meetings with a director or cold-call executive offices with hopes they'll take a meeting. It's basically a game of luck. It's a horrible job with very very low pay. 40k is barely enough to scrape by in Washington, DC.

      Advice to Management

      Stop promising these college graduates that this is a healthcare job because its not. Also- Pay your employees more. UnitedHealth Group does not even have a pay band that is as low as the Advisory employee pay!

    7. "Little room for advancement"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Paralegal
      Former Employee - Paralegal
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Food trucks for lunch, Starbucks across the street; independent work

      Cons

      No room for advancement; some executives are conniving and petty unless you are up their butt instead of doing your job; not honest with employees about company issues that affect their job stability and they should be; the cafe is ridiculously expensive.

    8. Helpful (1)

      "entry level"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Washington, DC
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at Advisory Board full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      full of young, smart people who want to learn and work hard

      Cons

      Not much room to learn, pay not competitive at all for a role that is filled by HIGHLY over-qualified candidates.

      Advice to Management

      Think of making entry-level positions rotational to expose young employees to multiple sides of the company

    9. "Good launchpad for learning but super cliquey"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Senior Director, Business Development in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Senior Director, Business Development in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      You'll learn how a large company works, how to do public speaking, how to speak with executives, how to negotiate through a huge company. I learned so much about how to professionally hold myself.

      Cons

      Unless you're a (very) high performer, you won't be invited into the clique. You survive as a normal performer, but you won't be handpicked to be given the best sales territories, and therefore you'll stay a normal performer. It's all a popularity contest, really. Super disappointing.

      Advice to Management

      Stop making this place such a fraternity/sorority. Work someplace else, even for a year, to get exposure to different (better?) work cultures.

    10. "Once great company"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Vice President in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Vice President in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Advisory Board full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Awesome people and terrific values

      Cons

      Many awesome people are leaving

      Advice to Management

      Develop a distinctive vision for ABCO within Optum