Douglas Emmett Reviews

I have been working at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – Friendly co-workers and off-site staff.

Cons – Employee advancement is not encouraged. Promotions rarely come from within. There is an air of secrecy about personnel changes. We don't find out about it until it has happened

Advice to Senior Management – Treat employees as if they are your most valuable asset and not as if everyone is expendable.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than a year

Pros – Relatively stable and successful company.

Cons – Ruled by fear. Officer level staffed by veterans who have long since lost touch with their employees and are bereft of compassion. They no longer recognize that their employees are what make the company successful. Below average pay, ethical and even moral lapses by CEO and COO.

Advice to Senior Management – It's time to move on.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Douglas Emmett

Pros – It is a good breeding ground for training. It is an established firm with years of experience in the industry.

Cons – It is an established firm which is great although it can lead to over management.

I have been working at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than a year

Pros – There are good people here, however what they all share in common is the frustration for the low pay. Santa Monica is nice in the summer. That is really the only perk.

Cons – - very very very low pay in the accounting department.
- fear based culture
- top down culture, 5 execs and 2 VP's make all the money, the rest of the staff is paid with peanuts and m&m's

Advice to Senior Management – If you pay your people as if they are desperate for a job, you will be left with people who are desperate for a job.. Update your computers, your technology is seriously outdated.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I have been working at Douglas Emmett full-time

Pros – Good for college students just starting out that are willing to work for little money and get the experience.

Cons – Alot of rules and regualations with very low pay increases.

I have been working at Douglas Emmett full-time for less than a year

Pros – Large company with a never ending flow of work. There will always be work for you to do, so you will never really feel that your job is in jeopardy because of the lack of work. There are some good, honest, hardworking people here. The ideal candidate would be an interior designer, because it is a lot about selecting finishes and preparing signage.

Cons – It is very corporate and you have to be extra cautious in everything you do. Too many meetings, emails and miscellaneous items that prevent you from doing actual work. The position is extremely demanding and the pay is very minimal (unless negotiated aggressively upfront). They want to quantify your results, such as, did you complete your project on time and within budget. These are the two most important aspects. The numbers never tell the story of all the associated problems with a certain project, but they are quick to blame for not producing a project under budget (w/ 10% savings) and on schedule. If you are an exempt employee, this position will demand a lot of your personal time. The director and the other project manager have a prior work relationship, so if you do crack their clique you may feel like an outcast. It is difficult to make design decisions because it needs to be approved first by the director and on bigger decisions it needs to be approved by the Upper Management Group. This obviously adds to delays on getting things done on time.

Advice to Senior Management – Give proper training or guidance to candidates on projects with little or no familiarity. Positive reinforcement and support during the span of employment. Limit the micro management. And show that you actually care for the well being of your employees.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than a year

Pros – OK salary and good health benefit package.

Cons – This primarily commercial property management company does not know how to effectively manage, and/or assist, their residential employees to achieve success. When a supervisor was advised training was necessary, the supervisor replied, "If you want training, you're working for the wrong company".

Advice to Senior Management – Learn that residential management has far more challenges for the on-site staff than commercial management.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

I worked at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Property Managers have purview over financial reporting, leasing, project management, customer relations, team-building -- very interdisciplinary approach that will always well serve one who accepts the associated challenges. Lots of mentors for the Commercial RE uninitiated.

Cons – Occasional bouts of CYA from the Corporate office, as I recall. Otherwise, superb company.

Advice to Senior Management – No real advice -- Senior Leadership operates a company at which I was very pleased to work. Left due to permanent relocation.

I have been working at Douglas Emmett full-time for more than a year

Pros – Very nice properties, some good people, and well...covered parking...

Cons – This place could be a great place to work. They have great properties, they are located in the heart of Santa Monica. they have in-house management, leasing and construction which should create synergy; however, I have yet to work for a less functional company. Creativity is discouraged. Completely unrewarding work environment.

Advice to Senior Management – If you treat your employees like they are "lucky to have a job," you will be left with people who are lucky to have a job.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

I have been working at Douglas Emmett as an intern for more than 3 years

Pros – Some nice workers and reasonable pay, also a few nice perks. I think a lot of your experience there depends on whether you work at one of the properties or the corporate office.

Cons – It feels cold there at times, and they have become progressively distrusting of their employees in the corporate office, to the point where there are going to be cameras installed.

Advice to Senior Management – D.E will always succeed, but eventually the quality and longevity of it's employees is going to go down unless it returns it's roots of it being like a family style company and less like working for the "man."