Disappointing first year at ZS - Anonymous employee ZS Associates Employee Review

1.0
Jul 3, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Highly intellectual peers/colleagues who have been with ZS for >3 years. If you demonstrate your loyalty, you wil be rewarded in the long run.

Cons

Throw your MBA degree in a can of trash when you come here - it is not valued, also throw away your prior workex. You will notice that your batchmates have made it to the next level a couple of years ago, while you will require another couple of years to be at that level, needless to say, with an MBA degree. Don't get too excited if you get a high salary when you join ZS, it will be 'corrected' in the coming cycles where you will get a less than 1/3rd of the hike as compared to the home-grown ZSers, no matter how well you performed. In the pretext of calling you an expert, you are required to do the same kind of work, every now and then which becomes boring. Unless you are in a client team, you are pretty much on your own, in the sense that you are just treated as a 'resource' who can execute certain tasks for them, just like buying a pet bottle of coke when you are thirsty.

Explore other reviews about ZS Associates

5.0
May 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great firm and leadership, interesting projects in healthcare

Cons

Nothing comes to mind apart from occasional long hours

4.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Strong culture and collaborative environment with smart, supportive colleagues. Admins are trusted partners and get exposure to senior leadership, which provides great learning opportunities. Compensation and benefits are competitive compared to similar roles.

Cons

Workload can be high, with admins often supporting multiple stakeholders while also providing backup coverage. Expectations can vary widely depending on the team, which can create inconsistency and pressure. Career growth paths are less structured and require a lot of self-direction. Work-life balance can be challenging at times, especially across time zones.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All