Cornell University Employee Reviews about "colleague"

Cons

Know what you're getting into before you sign on with Cornell. Underneath the sheen of working for an Ivy are some troubling realities: - Compensation: As staff (not sure about faculty), you will make a below-market salary. In our department, raises are capped at 2%, if you even get a raise (many staff members don't). Also, don't expect psychological raises like praise or title upgrades unless you have a stellar boss, which is a rarity at Cornell (see next point). Fight tooth and nail for the best salary you can get during hiring negotiations, because after that, you're going to be disappointed. Also forget about bonuses. - Culture: Seniority is everything, merit means little. Employees tend to be celebrated for years of service rather than their individual contributions. High performers don't stick around long at Cornell after they realize this. Thus, managers tend to be those who have sat in a chair long enough, not those who are natural leaders. - Personal/professional advancement: Nonexistent. You'll do the same job the same way for years. You'll get a paycheck but what you won't get are challenges to help you grow personally and professionally. Your input on how to improve the way things are done will be noted but never executed. After a decade or two you may be rewarded with a management position even if you'd make a terrible manager. The general attitude Cornell has toward staff is "you should feel lucky to work here" not "we're lucky to have you." - Hiring: When I was hired, it was, and may still be, Cornell policy to ask to interview your CURRENT boss during the hiring process, BEFORE you have an offer in hand. I got out of this by firmly insisting against it but it may not work for everyone. Looking back, I should have seen this as the big red flag that it was.