Boutique Consulting Firm - Associate Potomac River Partners Employee Review

Cares about clients, passionate about the work the company does, rewards self starters

Sometimes unbalanced feedback but leadership has identified this as something to work on

Compensation was reasonable, and some individual colleagues were supportive. Beyond that, I struggled to find positives.

During my time at Potomac River Partners, the environment consistently felt uncomfortable and psychologically unsafe. (Particularly for employees of color). In my personal experience, I have witnessed managers roll their eyes and scoff during company-wide diversity training, even while Black employees were sitting in the room. It signaled to me that inclusion was more of a box-checking exercise than a genuine company value. Leadership issues made things worse. The CEO often avoided difficult or necessary conversations instead of addressing them directly, which created a culture of avoidance, silence, and unresolved tension. This lack of interpersonal skill at the top trickled down and shaped the company’s entire tone. I also observed hiring patterns that were concerning. In my opinion, there appeared to be a consistent preference for white candidates over Black candidates with equal or comparable qualifications. The company relied heavily on a personality assessment to determine “fit,” but to me it felt like yet another veiled way to validate exclusionary hiring decisions under the guise of objectivity. While the company has since added people of color to the team, it reads as performative and more about keeping up with the times and not appearing as an overwhelmingly white organization than building a truly equitable environment. In my experience, these additions felt symbolic rather than meaningful. Overall, this was not a workplace where I felt safe, respected, or valued, and I would caution candidates, especially people of color, to consider these dynamics before joining.