Couldn't wait to get out - Anonymous employee AccountAbility Employee Review

1.0
20 Oct 2011
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

AccountAbility used to be a great name in the CSR field and I was proud to have it on my CV. In its heyday, it provided excellent opportunities to meet leading thinkers in sustainability, expand your personal network, and do some cutting-edge work. Salaries were eventually brought to comparable levels in the sustainability/consultancy sector in 2010.

Cons

Deep irony over supposed expertise in stakeholder engagement vs treatment of staff and the network. The original Council and Standards Board resigned over the governance of the AA1000, many staff were fired for speaking out. Staff turnover reached 85% in fiscal year 2010-11. Very stressful and oppressive environment in which independent working is discouraged and senior staff regularly blame juniors for underperformance. Those who did survive the cull have to work under intense pressure for little recompense and limited personal gain.

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AccountAbility Response
4y
Thank you for your review. We actively monitor the feedback received through Glassdoor and the formal and informal grievance mechanisms available to all employees and direct our leadership team to be aware of and address past and current employee concerns accordingly. We invite prospective employees to reach out to us directly at communications@accountability.org with any questions you may have.

Explore other reviews about AccountAbility

5.0
7 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Positive, friendly, supportive management makes a big difference. Really good vibes and personalities make a big difference. The office is quite beautiful as well.

Cons

The snacks aren't that good; the occasional ordered lunch would be great for morale too.

2.0
11 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The junior staff are exceptionally bright, hardworking, and capable. Many are high-potential professionals who take significant ownership of client work and consistently operate above their tenure level. The core talent within the firm is strong. However, this talent is frequently stretched thin and asked to carry responsibilities that would typically require senior strategic oversight. Without consistent guidance, mentorship, or clear long-term direction, even strong teams struggle to perform sustainably.

Cons

The CEO’s understanding of the current market and how modern firms operate appeared misaligned with evolving industry realities. This extended beyond a traditional leadership style and, in my view, limited the company’s ability to adapt to what clients increasingly prioritize. There was also a noticeable gap between how leadership positioned itself externally and how decisions and priorities were experienced internally. Leadership attention often seemed directed toward the wrong areas — emphasizing optics, minor internal matters, or short-term visibility rather than core strategic fundamentals such as client development, service quality, team enablement, and long-term growth planning. This misalignment of focus contributed to broader organizational instability. The more significant structural concern was the influence of the CEO’s second-in-command. As reflected in other reviews, there were recurring issues related to management effectiveness and accountability. Contributions were not consistently recognized, and when challenges arose, responsibility often appeared to shift downward rather than being addressed at the leadership level. This dynamic made it difficult to build trust and long-term morale within teams. Client retention challenges appeared to reflect these broader leadership and structural gaps. There did not seem to be a clearly defined or consistently executed strategy for building and sustaining a strong client portfolio. Despite recurring themes in employee feedback and online reviews, these concerns did not appear to result in meaningful organizational change.

3
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