AArete Reviews

3.7

59% would recommend to a friend

(223 total reviews)
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Loren J. Trimble

83% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

AArete has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 223 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The AArete employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management and consulting industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

223 reviews
1.0
22 Oct 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

First, the "negative" reviews here seem more reflective of my experiences at this company than the glowingly positive ones. And, it seems, based on "helpful" ratings, other members agree. I rank this a one star firm, but depending on what you are looking forthis could be a four star firm. As other reviewers wrote, the rank and file employees are friendly, nice, and generally people with whom it is easy to work or grab a beer. Offered vacation is generous (though, see more on this under pay). A good deal of project-level autonomy, but this could be viewed as a con.

Cons

Managing Directors and Directors, with few exceptions, have a pretty one dimensional background and approach to solutions: non-labor general and administrative unit cost reduction, e.g., office supplies, printing, etc. Where there are healthcare backgrounds, they typically are sourcing-related: medical supplies and equipment, other ancillary services. Since this is a low-barriers-to-entry and not really high skilled field - fees and salaries are relatively low for "consulting". This means, the staff skews young and less experienced. It also means, that non-monetary benefits are emphasized. I found it odd that we are given such generous vacation. In line with the above, MBA degrees, or the equivalent, among Managers (exc. MDs and Directors) and other staff are rare. The degree is not valued perhaps because the work and pay would not be commensurate with graduates' expectations. This is a very closely held firm, where all power and decision making seem to reside in the CEO and, to some extent, his friend the CFO. They appear to b outmatched by their ambitions, but even those are not clear. What this firm intends to do and how is vague, at best. Temporary staff, not so much coherent solutions, are sold to clients. This means that project direction and support are light. In fact, client benefit seems to be whether they like whomever shows up. Unfortunately, most high performers leave after 1-2 years. My biggest concern, while I am glad to have a job that pays something okay, is that I am not gaining experience and skills that will be valued in a very competitive workplace - that my peers at other firms are leaving me behind. This can be a one star or four star firm. One star: if you are looking for highly competitive remuneration and very experienced management consultants with broad backgrounds, as well as engaging projects on which you can build a diverse skill set. Four star: if you want a low stress workplace,with friendly and fun coworkers and are really interested in sourcing, and generous vacation.

1.0
7 Oct 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pros for CODE and some Consultants: The CODE team is truly amazing and has some great teammates and leaders. You can make lifelong friends at this company if you want to, although sometimes it's because you're sharing a collective trauma of dealing with a client, or exec leadership. There were and still are some truly amazing people at this company that I can depend on, they will be invited to my wedding and are lifelong friends. Pros for rest of company: If you are a straight white Christian male, a woman that worships the patriarchy, or one of the following: Brahmin, Khysatriyas, Vaishyas. This company is for you. If you do not think the above is better than you or you aren't one of the above, you might struggle to fit in. Female-identifying applicants you will get to work with impressive exec female leadership, that have said astounding things such as, "Gendered feedback doesn't exist". Truly the kind of female leadership that can only exist in 'Merica. BIPOC employees, you get to place your hope for an equity-driven workplace under one of our senior exec leaders on the DEI team that has publicly posted on LinkedIn saying the following "White people just don't get the same kind of opportunities as other races, the system is not designed for us to succeed". Wow definitely not awkwardly placed in charge of this group to try and save face instead of doing an actual intervention or sensitivity training! Neurodivergent applicants: I can't even really joke about this one because of how atrocious it was. An employee with ASD, and during the start of the pandemic, were very isolated and their routine was ripped out from under them (not good if you have ASD). They were having extreme struggles and had gotten FMLA approved by their doctor. They were the only employee working on a client project (the client insisted on working with them, and wouldn't work with anyone else, not uncommon). The executive leader on the project was "worried about the client relationship" and not the health of the employee when taking FMLA. The exec then proceeded to try and STOP THEIR FMLA. You cannot do this, it is extremely illegal. The fact that they even thought about this, and then had the gall to even try. Disgusting.

Cons

There are quite a few, but I will just stick to stories that I directly witnessed and are my favorite when explaining the company culture. Hiring: There is a lot of nepotism, but my favorite example of it is the following. A CODE intern applicant (getting a master's at an Ivy League), beyond overqualified, and everyone on the CODE team that interviewed them wanted them on the team. Unfortunately, they also talked to our CEO, who has zero knowledge of technology and makes brash decisions. At our intern post-interview happy hour, the applicant who was applying for a job in Chicago talked about how they didn't like NYC (where they currently were), and how great Chicago was (where the internship and job would be). The 'negativity' didn't sit well with the CEO and we weren't allowed to move forward with this brilliant black woman getting a STEM master's in one of the most competitive schools on the planet. However, a relative of the CEO who doesn't even have a degree was given a full-time salaried position without even a real interview! Wow definitely not a biased leader at all, truly trying to even the playing field by giving an opportunity to someone without a college education! (lol) Respectful Dialogue: At one of the semi-annual national meetings an employee was paired at a table with a few other employees. We got onto the topic of reusable tote bags, they thought reusable bags were 'dumb' and that they "can carry all the bags in without a tote bag". The employee responded by saying how the tote bags are less likely to break and can carry more in one bag making fewer trips necessary. To which they responded with "#$%^ the turtles", for those that don't know sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish (what they eat) and then end up dying from eating plastic bags. What a nuanced and well thought out point of view, I'm very glad they're in charge of getting clients excited to talk to our company! Loren the Leader: The dress code is now a bit relaxed, but it wasn't always like that. One day an employee got called into the office by the head of the CODE team. Apparently, our CEO said they saw them in jeans and a plain white t-shirt in the office one day. In reality, they were wearing dark blue chinos and an all-white short-sleeve button-up. However, instead of coming over to verify what they were wearing, they went to talk to the CFO because they didn't know their name and wanted to find out who it was so their boss could 'handle' their poor business decision. The boss didn't want to have the conversation because they knew how unbelievably pointless and pathetic it was. Aside from this being pointless and petty, what does this say about the CEO as a leader? To me, it says that they're incompetent, self-absorbed, and a control freak. There are too many stories to count, so I'll just finish up with one of my favorite quotes that I've heard throughout my time there. "Oh, you're Jewish? but you don't have a Jews nose!"

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AArete Response
4y
We are sorry to hear about your experience at AArete. We welcome and appreciate team member feedback. Please know, we take this information seriously. Our goal is to have an inclusive work environment where every team member has a voice, and every voice is heard. As part of this, we have an internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Employee feedback helps keep us focused on our goal, and shapes a positive culture.
2.0
24 Feb 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Soem of my very best friends are from AArete, and it really is a culture that encourages this relationship building - Some leaders truly care about your care about your career and wellbeing, and I've formed genuine mentor/mentee relationships at AArete - If you align with a service offering, you have a strong support group to learn and grow and the firm

Cons

- Compensation and benefits are far below market - Management takes departures very personally and have had outbursts of rage when employees put in their two weeks - There's a huge disconnect between leadership and staff in terms of communication, and leadership has put in very small effort to adjust that - Projects at AArete have become non-strategic and staff aug focused that increase turnover and decrease company morale - Company culture has shifted from an eager-to-learn mentality to a lazy (and finger pointing) one due to MD pressure to completely rely on shared services - MDs oversell and understaff projects without any risk mitigation, then blame managers for poor project planning and provide little to no support - Management states they are very invested in Diversity and Inclusion but it feels performative as there is a lack of meaningful representation of marginalized groups and the employee resource group is lead mostly by white males - Overall lack of transparency and poor communication from leadership - Lots of favoritism and rewarding of undeserving employees

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AArete Response
5y
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience while working at AArete. We look to improve based on the feedback we receive from current and former employees. AArete’s goal to become a truly inclusive workplace means that we appreciate all feedback that helps us get better. We wish you satisfaction in your new endeavor and are grateful for your time with AArete. - The AArete HR Team
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