Vertical Institute Reviews

4.3

82% would recommend to a friend

(45 total reviews)

83% positive business outlook

Vertical Institute has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 45 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Vertical Institute employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

45 reviews
1.0
15 June 2026

The People Cared More Than Leadership Did

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The training and courses offered can be genuinely valuable, particularly for individuals who are eager to learn and develop new skills. There are also some truly good people within the company—people who care deeply about the mission, care about their colleagues, and work incredibly hard despite the challenges around them. Unfortunately, many of the positive aspects are undermined by deeper organizational and leadership issues. Good training cannot compensate for poor employee experience. Good colleagues cannot compensate for inconsistent leadership. Over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to appreciate the positives when they exist alongside a culture of uncertainty, favoritism, and reactive decision-making. One of the saddest parts of my experience was watching capable, dedicated, and loyal people become discouraged. Many joined because they believed in the vision and genuinely wanted the company to succeed. Instead of being empowered and retained, some left feeling disappointed, unheard, and emotionally exhausted.

Cons

I would strongly encourage prospective employees to conduct thorough research and speak to multiple current and former employees before joining. The company presents itself as mission-driven and employee-focused, but my experience was very different from the image that is projected externally. One of the biggest concerns was leadership and organizational structure. While the CEO remains the face of the company, a significant amount of operational influence appeared to rest elsewhere. This created confusion around decision-making, accountability, and consistency. Employees were often left uncertain about who was ultimately responsible for major decisions affecting day-to-day operations. The HR function held substantial influence over both people management and operational matters. Unfortunately, the employee experience often felt highly dependent on personal relationships and individual preferences rather than clear, consistent processes. Interactions could vary dramatically depending on circumstances, creating the perception of favoritism and inconsistent treatment across teams. There was a noticeable difference in how certain departments appeared to be treated. Some teams seemed to receive significantly more support, attention, and influence than others. Whether intentional or not, this created a perception of unequal treatment and contributed to frustration among employees outside of those favored groups. Another recurring issue was the tendency for policies and expectations to change rapidly, sometimes in response to short-term business performance. Employees could find themselves adapting to new rules, targets, or processes with little warning or explanation. This created an environment where stability was difficult to achieve and where employees were constantly trying to keep up with shifting expectations. Job security was another significant concern. The handling of departures often created uncertainty among remaining employees. People were expected to be deeply committed to the company's mission, yet many employees struggled to feel the same level of commitment being extended back to them. This disconnect had a noticeable impact on morale. Communication was frequently reactive rather than proactive. Instead of providing clarity and long-term direction, leadership often appeared to respond to immediate issues as they arose. This contributed to an atmosphere of uncertainty and made it difficult for employees to confidently plan their careers within the organization. What makes these issues particularly disappointing is that there are genuinely hardworking and talented people within the company. Many employees care deeply about their work and want the organization to succeed. Unfortunately, good people can only compensate for structural and leadership issues for so long. One final concern relates to online reputation management. As a job seeker, I would encourage prospective employees to read reviews carefully and look for patterns across multiple sources. In my experience, the public image presented online did not fully reflect the reality experienced by many employees internally. I left with the impression that the company values loyalty and commitment from employees, but has not yet built the systems, leadership practices, transparency, or consistency required to earn that loyalty in return. For anyone considering joining, proceed with caution and ask detailed questions about employee retention, leadership structure, decision-making processes, communication practices, and how performance concerns are actually handled in practice. A company's culture is not defined by what it says about itself. It is defined by how people are treated when things are difficult. Unfortunately, that was where the biggest gaps became visible.

1.0
1 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Maybe the coffee machine and location of the office is pretty central?

Cons

Not even sure where to start but so much micromanaging from the CEO. No clear communication and process when it comes to hiring and firing. Especially in the past month in, I am witnessing so many layoffs, termination with no warning. Seems like the only communication you get to know if you are going to lose your job is when u see a job posting for you position being posted without your knowledge. Also, a lot of the Google reviews and Glassdoor reviews here is definitely not real. And I’ve also heard that fake reviews are something that is being “secretly” done in the company.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 45 Reviews

Glassdoor has 55 Vertical Institute reviews submitted anonymously by Vertical Institute employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Vertical Institute is right for you.