Dysfunctional and degrading but could have a bright future - Anonymous employee Hightower Advisors Employee Review

1.0
16 Nov 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

+Company has great potential, particularly with new senior management and new personnel being brought in for the next phase with new THL private equity owners

Cons

-Turnover and talent attrition at all levels is truly staggering, and it seems that there is no recognition or action taken to recognize the habitual patterns and try to curb the problem. There are departments that with regularity for years and years now can’t retain team members for longer than 6-12 months and where quite frequently people have just quit the department and left. -Plenty of fancy titles to go around in corporate segments, just about everyone has a “Head of ________” but no work or results of practical value to show for it, this also creates siloes where groups and people don’t work cohesively as they all try to work on their own “plot of land” rather than with one another for broader team or organizational goals & strategy. -Seems that very little attention or evaluation has been given to ensuring that HighTower has the right people with the right skills and experience for roles at the company, at all level top and mid-level in particular. -Groups don’t work well together, trust is low, collaboration is poor, siloes and fiefdoms have ruled for quite some time. This is the first company I have ever worked at where quite literally nobody will share their calendars with one another so that you can have an awareness of what your colleagues have going on any given day/time. -Disjointed, disorganized, confused mess of a firm, hasn't decided what kind of organization it wants to be with any degree of discipline. It is constantly reorganizing its departments and causing confusion and chaos it has no vision or clear set of priorities.

Explore other reviews about Hightower Advisors

5.0
3 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The culture here is incredible

Cons

There are a lot of changes constantly

1.0
30 Jan 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A handful of genuinely good people who try to do the right thing and support their teammates. The work can be interesting at times, and you can learn a lot if you’re proactive.

Cons

The culture here used to be one of the best parts of the job, but over the last two years it’s pretty much disappeared. Leadership keeps pushing more in-office time, and the reasoning given in all-hands meetings feels disconnected from reality. It comes off as out of touch, and things like “bagels in the office” are honestly more insulting than motivating. The team dynamic has also changed for the worse. It doesn’t feel like people are working together anymore. A lot of folks are just trying to protect themselves and avoid blame rather than collaborate, which creates a stressful and political environment. Larry in particular is seen by many as elitist and overly intense. The expectation seems to be that people should just grind until they burn out or leave. There’s very little concern for sustainability or long-term morale, and turnover feels accepted rather than addressed. On top of that, the private equity ownership creates constant anxiety. It feels like they’re more interested in being the first to sell than in being the best company. If an exit opportunity comes up, it’s hard to believe the company wouldn’t be gutted. Layoffs feel likely at some point, especially given how often management relationships with firms like Goldman Sachs are brought up.

3
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