Good office infrastructure but rampant favoritism and layoffs - Director Morgan Stanley Employee Review

2.0
30 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Office Infrastructure is good, subsidized cafeteria and cafe + Gym Reimbursement Work life balance is good in some teams

Cons

Layoffs: Everyear in March and sometimes in June, there is a Layoff cycle. Layoffs are random and not performance based or CTC based. % Cap on Bonus No hike sometimes or very less hike % Office politics: Visibility and favoritism matter more than actual performance or results. Career stagnation: Even with consistent top ratings, employees remain stuck at the same designation for years. Manager favoritism: Sucking up to managers seems to be the norm, overshadowing genuine contributions. Misleading titles: Designations like “Director” are equivalent to AVP roles, creating confusion. Unfair hierarchy: No clear criteria for senior roles — e.g., 11+ years hired as Director (AVP) while 9+ years sometimes hired as VP. This lack of transparency misleads new joiners about career progression. Job tier structure: Making career progression all the more difficult. Promotion is sometimes Biased.

Explore other reviews about Morgan Stanley

5.0
6 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People are solid, advanced systems, good facilities

Cons

People are undervalued at times, strict wfh policy

3.0
30 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very good co-workers, Great technology stack. Lot of new technologies and integration with current work.

Cons

They dont even give you a MS cup. They ask you to buy it for 5$. So cheap! Management big on "Giving back", Immediate managers do not like it and are not supportive. Lay off employees twice a year to show profits. Only worried about shareholders and clients. Don't know the criteria for lay-off. So, you are always worried if it is your turn. They boast about mental health and wellness. No good, when they layoff employees like this. HR = Horrible Resources. When you are laid off, they shoo you away as if you are a fly. You feel miserable. They themselves say - "We are better than Facebook or Oracle. We dont fire you at 6 AM over email." Gosh! What a comparison!

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