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Stanford University

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If you are seeking a staff (non-faculty, non-research) position, look elsewhere - HR Program Manager Stanford University Employee Review

2.0
Apr 18, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I was profoundly inspired and excited to land a role at Stanford, and believed I was becoming a part of something important. I even thought I would sunset my career here. One of the major benefits was doing new things in my field and becoming more of an expert in my industry than I was prior to working here.

Cons

The other side of my experience was grossly negative. It was disillusioning to discover Stanford is just as archaic as every other university if not much more due to the "Stanford Bubble" effect. The thing that caught me most by surprise was the motivation of women in senior leadership positions to actively bully and mistreat other women with high potential, and leaders who were happy to look the other way as long as the status quo was maintained. The environment isn't toxic for everyone, but if you have any sense of confidence, ambition, or rightly assume that you have something to contribute, you should anticipate these qualities becoming a problem. It's interesting that many of the HR people migrate between the university and the hospitals. Essentially, you get the same people floating in and out of different parts of of the Stanford system and I can't help but wonder if that maintains the dysfunction that Stanford is known for. The best advice I could give anyone is to document every single remotely toxic situation you find yourself in. Don't bother sending anything to Labor and Relations. Send it to the EEOC. As for salary, "Exceeds Expectations" on annual reviews yielded a 2.7-2.8% salary increase to a salary range already categorized as "moderately low income" for the Bay Area.

Explore other reviews about Stanford University

5.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good healthcare benefits, cost covered by departments

Cons

Very high COL for the stipends - many students spend >60% of salary on rent.

4.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Overall, Stanford is an amazing place to work. The environment and benefits can't be beat. You can go for a swim on your lunch break or a walk around the lake. The recreational classes and opportunities are usually great. Eating at the dining hall, although pricy, is a real treat.

Cons

If you're not senior management, faculty, development, etc., Stanford's pay has not kept up with the cost of living in the area. If you come for a job from outside of California, be prepared for a real shock when you see the kinds of rentals and the prices. Beauty has a price. You will not be able to live near campus as the average employee. Unless you're really familiar with the traffic in California, don't look at places that you think are an hour away, because they'll be two hours away by car. And you'll have to pay to park on campus, so not driving at all is your best option. Many administrative jobs are held by partners of people working in tech or faculty, because that's the only way you can afford to live there. If you don't have a partner making $200K+, you'll be taking the train or bus for an hour. If you're thinking about buying a house and you don't have a suitcase of cash, that sound you're hearing is my laughter. It's also important to realize that the working conditions across campus vary by unit. Working at the Graduate School of Business will seem more like a corporate job; working in Medicine could be brutal; and the treatment you will get can vary by department.

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