BlackRock reviews

3.7

69% would recommend to a friend

(6,582 total reviews)
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Laurence D. Fink

82% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

BlackRock has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 6,582 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The BlackRock employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Finanzas industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

7K reviews
3.0
Jul 23, 2013

Great company, room for improvement as an employer

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Top asset management firm, internal job opportunities, great work experience.

Cons

Morale within all departments is low. Management seems to do little to change it.

5.0
Jul 4, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I've been working at BlackRock for 1.5 years. I've really enjoyed my time with the company. It's non-hierarchical compared to every other firm I have ever worked at and you have access to the most senior people in the firm. My colleagues are very collaborative and good to be around. It's perhaps the most complex and innovative of the largest global asset management companies so you are always learning new things. Given the size I was expecting a more bureaucratic organisation but have been pleasantly surprised - it's very entrepreneurial and if you gave good ideas people want to hear about them. The firm has only been in existence for 25 years so it's free from the stuffiness of older firms where there is an unwillingness to try new things due to an established way of doing things over the years. The firm has been through numerous mergers and aqcuisitions which in itself has created a very open-minded culture overall. It has such a diverse product range across all asset classes and investment styles that there is a product for every change in the market cycle - i.e. not predominatly Fixed Income like PIMCO or ETF/passive like Vanguard.

Cons

It's a global company but the fact that it is US headquartered is still very evident.

1.0
Jun 24, 2013

Blackrock AKA Burnout

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- large firm with a good "street" reputation. - compensation is just above average - there are a few gem employees who are stellar. Seek out these staffers and align yourself.

Cons

- be prepared to work yourself to death with very long hours (expect 10-14 hour days) and job volume that normally 2-3 employees would take on. -expect to cancel your planned vacations. Pre Departure expect to work "extra" hours. Re-entry - same deal - you'll have to catch up on so much work. Relaxed? You won't be for long. - if you want any type of work life balance rethink your idea to join this firm. It's very difficult to leave at end of day without being viewed as a slacker (even if it's been a 12 hr day for you), much less to leave the office for a dr appointment, child school event, looking for an apartment, running an errand at lunch - all impossible. - during my time there I never met anyone who was "happy" or "satisfied". Moral is low as staff is so overworked. As a result of current job market - many remain longer than they want due to lack of alternative opportunities. - transfers b/w departments (regardless of your role) was rarely successful or beneficial to both parties. Mostly used as an exit ramp for the employee. - management levels are thick and multiple. - re-creation of the wheel is a weekly process. - the infrastructure of the firm has not grown with the firm in order to now support 5000+ employees - many simple transactions take a long time due to multiple layers of mngt and lack of up to date infrastructure - senior management does not treat their direct staff well. There is a trickle down effect as a result. - HR dept is a nightmare to deal w/ re: new hires, benefit issues. Simply dysfunctional due to heavy turnover. - don't expect praise. I once received a small gift (chocolates) from a senior manager who I had helped significantly w/ a project. The giving of this gift was seen by our department head. Within the hour the senior manager was chastised by the dept head office. "We don't do that here"... Senior manager was purposely embarrassed publicly and never provided praise again. - there are some great, talented, bright employees who could really make a difference. Few succeed. Most are burnt out quickly looking for an exit. - there are too many "deadwood" employees who are ineffective lumps that simply gave up at some point. Management & HR does little to off load these staffers. - compensation was just above average. Bonus discussions went like this w/ managers "I have your comp number here but before we discuss that let's talk about what I need from you going forward" - insert project laundry list of huge tasks you'll now have to incorporate into your already overloaded plate. - once you decided to leave the firm and resign you'll be publicly labeled a "non-performer" by management (regardless of your tenure or performance). Management and HR can't comprehend "could it be us?"

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