First off, let me start by saying how confused I am by all the glowing reviews on here! The few critical reviews I read were far more indicative of my experience at Bozzuto. Below I have expanded on some of the concerns I had, many of which echo previous employees:
1. The Basics: Pay is alright for entry level.. definitely more on the lower end though. And don't be fooled by the bonus structure its practically non-existent. PTO is generous but you are unable to actually use any time. You will be told that you must be here at least 3 weekends a month. Sick and need a day off? Too bad... if you're scheduled to work you HAVE to work. No ifs, ands or buts. Extremely toxic and controlling environment with no room for creativity. 0% Marketing maybe 5% sales (if you can even call their coercive techniques selling...) and 95% property management.
2. Favoritism: You see it everywhere at Bozzuto. Promotions are decided far ahead of time, before the position is even posted. Managers get all the praise for a property's performance when it is the SMA doing all the work. That being said, if the property performance is poor, it is ALL the SMA's fault. Bozzuto raves about its culture, but I felt as though I was back in high school on numerous occasions. Grown adults 10 years my senior gossip about their employees and if you aren't all in on Bozzuto, you will be ostracized.
Managers are on such a power trip, it truly reminds me of the Bourgeois and the Lower Class. SMA's receive little to no respect, when we are the ones working holidays, weekends, and odd hours. Managers excuses are "well we were all in your position once"... You'd think that would make them more empathetic and understanding? Not in the slightest. I understand this is what you sign on for with the job, however the way it is manipulated for the benefit of the superiors is so corrupt it sickens me.
Lastly, the men at Bozzuto whom I have interacted with lack basic morals. I have been hit on, spoken to in certain ways, and been made to feel extremely uncomfortable on more than one occasion by the men at this company. If you are standoffish or dismissive to these actions as I was, they will gossip and spread rumors in a way I have not seen since middle school.
3. Emotionally Abusive: Not only did I feel abuse from residents, but from management as well. Reading the job description I had no idea I would be yelled at on a semi-daily basis by residents for things that weren't my (or Bozzuto's) fault. Oh but wait -- the customer is ALWAYS right. This archaic mentality made me feel so incredible devalued and disrespected. The fact that Bozzuto doesn't have a system in place for these interactions is of great concern. You are expected to sit down and just take responsibility for everything. Managers pawn off all the dirty work to the SMA and often criticize them for how certain hostile situations were handled. There is no 1 way someone is "supposed" to act when being verbally abused and I think critiquing someone on what was done wrong is insensitive and demeaning. No one should be treated this way.
I can't speak to all management/ offices, but in mine you can expect to be micromanaged, and constantly criticized. The managers can do no wrong but the SMA is a babbling idiot... Many of my fellow SMA's were extremely smart, went to good colleges and were super involved. However in our positions we were made to feel like trash because we couldn't sell like robots. They do not care if you are a kind individual - all they care about is you following their rigid, cheesy sales techniques which completely lack empathy.
I left every day feeling so emotionally drained. It is the least rewarding job I have ever experienced - literally and figuratively (yeah the commission is completely non-existent) In my first job post college I hoped for a mentor, a company I could be proud of and grow with. While I don't regret my time because of the friends I've made (all of whom have left for similar reasons) I truly wish there was more clarity during the hiring process and while I was doing my research. Please anyone reading this, if you are an empathetic, creative, dynamic and excited person -- don't work here. They'll turn you into an emotionless robot.
