Not a performance culture, poor e comp, awful productivity tools - Director, Portfolio Management BlackRock Employee Review

1.0
May 28, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I'm close with my teammates. Each team is allowed its own culture, which is a positive in my case. BlackRock is a well regarded brand which will make it easier to get a job.

Cons

- below mkt comp, 3rd quartile - not a performance culture, top performers aren't rewarded, recognized, or promoted appropriately. The most stark, and shocking, example of this is the lack of quotas in the sales org. Can you believe the sales force doesn't have quotas and isn't held accountable for not selling? - the company is constantly doing things to save costs, often at the expense of employee sanity and productivity. Examples include: cancelling software licenses yearly (adobe acrobat), forced black & white printing unless you make like 5 clicks to turn it off, lack of conf rooms, no longer offering bottled water in conference rooms, putting sensors underneath the desks in London to track the time employees spend at their desks

Explore other reviews about BlackRock

5.0
May 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company to gain experience

Cons

Not many cons, large organization

3.0
Feb 22, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

1. The executive leaders in the firm are doing a great job 2. Many people in the firm genuinely have a sense of pride working there 3. The (base) compensation is compatible with the market; bonus, however, is another story. 4. For the first ten years of my career in the firm, I made some great memories and made some great friends.

Cons

The culture of my organization started to shift away from a sensible approach and career nurturing to a hostile and confrontational one around 2 years ago. In several all-hands meetings, we were chastised for being "too nice" and were made clear that things would change. The anonymous feedback in the meetings was cut short or eliminated entirely because it didn’t paint a positive picture. In the last 2 years, 1. I was often asked and expected to answer, "Now.. what can you do for me?" in my 1:1 with my latest manager. 2. I was reminded more than once that English is my second language 3. I was reminded more than once by the manager that I should not speak during the meetings I was invited to because they weren’t in the right timing or not appropriate to the subject being discussed during the time There were many of these examples in the last two years with the firm that just seemed inconceivable; nevertheless, I had a great ride and met some genuine people that I consider friends even today.

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