Good people, good mission, but extremely difficult to get things done. - Anonymous employee AARP Employee Review

3.0
Nov 1, 2011
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Above-average benefits, good pay, very good location in DC. Many of the employees do care about the mission and are reasonable to work with. And the mission of the organization to serve others, especially those 50 years old and older.

Cons

The only thing keeping this organization afloat is the large membership and the lack of competition. There hasn't been a substantial contribution to society from this organization in decades. They celebrate little accomplishments and minimize the failures. It is incredibly difficult to get projects done or to get anything through Procurement. When they want to get rid of poor performers, they re-org and eliminate positions. It is very top-heavy, with probably a quarter (or more) of the staff either Managers, Directors or VPs. There are a ton of VPs, some having only one or two direct reports - hardly anyone left to actually do the work. Decisions are either done by consensus (please everyone) or by senior management who don't have enough information but think they know everything. Lots of turf-protection and lack of coordination between groups.

Explore other reviews about AARP

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

great benefits even for interns like free lunch, reimbursed parking, hybrid work. good opportunities to network, hone your skills, and potentially get a permanent role within the organization.

Cons

long onboarding. lots of hr training.

4.0
Jun 30, 2026
Anonymous intern
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I was able to take on multiple responsibilities, like research and volunteer engagement, with consideration of my time and workload from school.

Cons

At times, I felt like my work wasn’t as important or could’ve been done by my supervisors, especially when projects were close to completion, they would be altered but I understand it was for time efficiency.

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