The Most Political & Stressful Place to Work - Anonymous employee Vanguard Employee Review

1.0
Mar 5, 2011
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The benefits package was the best thing VG had going for them. As a personal investor, their investment products are good, too.

Cons

I worked in HR so I know a lot of the behind-the-scenes politics that went on at VG. People that were clearly qualified for open positions not being hired from the outside or promoted from within due to politics, managers wanting to low ball on salaries, crew members that came to HR with confidential issues having their personal business gossiped about all over the HR department, unfair reviews given to crew members by spiteful supervisors, total lack of flexible scheduling....and the best one is if you didn't play politics (kissing up, never questioning anything, working 70 hour weeks, having no life outside of work) you were labeled "not a team player" or a "troublemaker". Even in HR, there was the same type of politics and nonsense. I have been told to literally offer jobs to people who were not qualified just because they were friends with a popular crew member or "knew" someone in management. It was totally frustrating to lose a great candidate who was a perfect fit for a position because someone wanted to play politics. The really sad thing about VG is they demand the best of the best--a person graduate from the best schools, have the best grades or work experience, dress in the best looking clothes and work a ton of hours but they don't want to pay you what you're worth or treat you with respect.

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5.0
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Pros

Large firm so great to get exposure to different groups.

Cons

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3.0
Jun 3, 2026
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Pros

Awesome coworkers for young professionals. Paid licensing for a few months.

Cons

Micromanagement is out of control. Incompetent team leaders who are obsessed with power and metrics. Back to back calls, limited support, and nearly impossible effective communication between departments. Zero time to cultivate culture because you are taking calls every second of the day except for 30min/1hr lunch and two 15 minute breaks. You’re locked into your role for over a year (apprenticeship for around 60 days, then a year after promotion to associate) and your team leaders will not approve internal applications unless you are “eligible”.

4
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