Stay away at all costs - Portfolio Management/Valuation Associate Ares Management Employee Review

1.0
Oct 16, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There were no pros to working here besides maybe telling people you worked at Ares and getting excited for three seconds, only for them to respond with "what's Ares?"

Cons

Very toxic culture. Hard work is not rewarded. Everything is based on politics. Management treats employees like slaves and there is very little room for upward mobility. They say you have "unlimited" vacation, but that's just bait. When you ask for days off (even if sick) they will ding your performance. Highly regret working here.

Explore other reviews about Ares Management

5.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing work environment and benefits.

Cons

Expectation to be in office four(4) days

2.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Prestige, Good Benefits, snacks in the fridge Some teams are very good. Ideal for someone in their 40s or 50s who is looking for stability.

Cons

All teams are different at a company of this size, but working in the middle office technology team was the worst experience of my career. Day to day work was either completely free of directive or projects would be completely blocked by bureaucracy. When a project I was working on went well, there was no celebration and when it was late or had issues there was no reflection. The culture is going into work to a cubicle to sit in zoom meeting straight from nine to five or eating lunch alone each day in a ghost town office. Other teams will speak poorly of each other and gossip. My boss's boss was a bully and would threaten people constantly. Everyone I worked with was "living the dream", overworked and bored to death but making a ton of money. Every team outing they had in three years was just a golf simulator. It just doesn't have to be like this. We've moved on from this cubicle farm company since the 90s, work should be encouraging and fun. Unless you're looking for stability above all else, you can find a better place to work.

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