So much wasted potential - Senior Solution Specialist AARP Employee Review

3.0
26 Dec 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great location and lots of sharp people within an amazing digital strategy group. In three years I gained a wealth of knowledge and grew my skill set just by working side by side with these folks. The social mission is admirable in an ideal world.

Cons

Most of the people I grew from were not in management. No mentorship. The management varies from team to team and there are some great leaders in the organization. In the same breath, most of the management team I encountered on a daily basis were power hungry and paranoid, unwilling to share critical information needed to help in decision making across groups - and even "making up" false data to share instead from time to time, if the false data served a purpose for said management. Reorganization is ongoing on some teams, so many teams never reach the "performing" or even "norming" stage of team cohesion. Group think is a HUGE issue in many departments, with blatent favoritism supported by management. Critical issues tend to get swept under the rug instead of dealt with and improved upon in a professional manner. Often times hostile behavior from favorites is rewarded.

Explore other reviews about AARP

5.0
28 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

great benefits even for interns like free lunch, reimbursed parking, hybrid work. good opportunities to network, hone your skills, and potentially get a permanent role within the organization.

Cons

long onboarding. lots of hr training.

2.0
2 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

benefits are strong - pension, vacation, sick, caregiving work life balance is generally good

Cons

AARP suffers from a serious toxic work culture, particularly in the IT and Digital Transformation departments. Leadership is atrocious. People leading the 2 key technology functions for the business are incompetent and ego maniacs. Both departments are extremely toxic with burned out employees and contractors. Money gets wasted in the extreme due to these factors. Constant signal switching on projects and priorities. Everyone you work with is unhappy. Bullying and retaliation are common. Avoid these departments in particular, but the whole organization is top heavy, with terrible leadership all around. Still there are some great and talented people, but it's not the norm, and senior leadership is wrought with incompetence and arrogance. The organization flails around endlessly, and blows money with no discipline or rigor to their work and methods. Think someone is juicing the Glassdoor numbers with people saying the place is great. No opportunity for growth. The organization tries to do good work, and does in many ways, but it's so poorly run that it severely hampers its potential.

4
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