1. There is a reason Partners Group has a 2.6 Glassdoor rating (based on over 150 reviews). You would not stay in a hotel room with a 2.6 rating - why would you accept a position at a firm with such a low score? This is your career and livelihood.
2. The recent positive reviews on Glassdoor are fake and written by HR. In Q4 2018, the management team held a firm-wide forum to discuss the firm's low Glassdoor rating (which at that time was 2.4) and asked employees to write fake reviews.
3. Avoid these toxic groups - IVC, Real Estate, Private Debt. TOXIC LEADERSHIP. They come across as friendly people in interviews but that's because they have trouble recruiting people. Extremely political, UNPROFESSIONAL environment … not team players. These groups' leaders are deceitful liars. After working in these groups for 2 months, you will see what it's really like. This is the first firm that I have worked at where group heads and MDs verbally abuse associates. Rather than training or mentoring new associates, MDs throw new hires under the bus to cover their own behinds. These groups also have the highest turnover. Avoid these groups if you're looking for a long term career, development and mentorship.
4. Untrained, inexperienced co-workers. The firm is filled with people who are not qualified to do their jobs. Think about it … who in NYC finance would take a job in Denver for half the comp? Basically the industry's rejects. So hours can extend late into the night because you spend your entire day training your peers and junior co-workers on tasks that bulge bracket summer analysts breeze through. Oh … and your untrained workers think they know everything, so have fun training. Entitled millennials
5. Deal teams do limited diligence on investments because most of the time is spent formatting and adhering to internal procedures. You spend your day copying and pasting. I seriously have not learned a single thing here, except how to use Siebel (PG's internal database system that keeps on crashing because the IT team is 3 people) and other non-transferrable skills.
6. Low comp … This is not even the worst reason, but read your offer letter carefully because the Denver HR team is seriously incompetent (no joke). The short summary is that you're basically working for cash comp is that half the market rate. The equity comp is minimal and has 3-5 year vesting. Any carry that you receive is worthless unless you stay over 5 years and agree to sign a two year non-compete if you ever decide to leave.
7. No one respects the firm's founders or leadership. It's not uncommon to hear people call the founders and other senior management team members idiots behind closed doors. The management team and group heads are not visionaries and command no respect internally. How can you keep a firm alive with no vision or respect?
8. HIGH TURNOVER … Seriously one of the highest turnover rates that I have seen or heard about in the finance industry. Everyone competent leaves, so the morons who are willing to work for half the market pay remain.
