Great company great mission - Anonymous employee Urban Institute Employee Review

Intelligent coworkers. Passionate about policy and improvement

Reliance on government funding leaves company open to shocks with changes in administration

* Brilliant, mission-driven colleagues who genuinely care about the work. * Meaningful projects with real policy impact. * Flexible remote environment

Urban does important research, but too often fails to invest in the people doing it. The organization relies heavily on the passion and goodwill of its junior and mid-level staff. Many of us were willing to go above and beyond because we believed in the mission, including regular unpaid work for career advancement. Unfortunately, that commitment wasn’t matched with the same investment in our growth, job security, compensation, or mentorship. Too often, the question became, “How do I stay staffed?” instead of, “How do I do my best work?” The billability model reinforces that culture. Researchers are expected to juggle multiple complex projects while constantly competing for project coverage, creating an environment where staying billable often takes priority over developing as a researcher or doing strong work. Your day-to-day experience also depends heavily on the projects you’re staffed on. Some teams are collaborative, supportive, and invested in mentorship; others are stretched thin and offer very little guidance. Because there is little ability to choose your projects or supervisors, your experience at Urban can vary dramatically based on where you land. My own experience reflected those challenges. I was hired at a salary that felt low for my experience, with no transparency around how it was determined, but a promise that promotions happen often. Despite years of consistently exceptional performance reviews and increasing responsibility, that promise never came. During my final year, I reported to a new supervisor (swapped from my previous supervisor after a restructuring) who had limited visibility into my day-to-day work, and my layoff was delivered by a senior leader I had never worked with. It was an impersonal end to years of strong performance and a few weeks before my planned promotion. The frustration didn’t end there. I was incorrectly advised about where to file for unemployment after my layoff, and months later I am still waiting for my claim to be resolved. In the meantime, I’ve been waiting tables to make ends meet. Urban’s mission deserves better. So do the people who make that mission possible.