Private Equity Company Statistics - As of December, 2015

These statistics are based solely on all user submissions to the WSO Company Database for employment through December, 2015. Each company is given an adjusted score using Bayesian estimates, which takes into account the number of reviews for a particular company. For more details, please see the Methodology FAQ below.
Hardest Interviews (1)
What fund has the hardest interview?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.5%
H.I.G. Capital
97.0%
Bain Capital
95.5%
Starwood Capital Group
94.0%
Onex
92.5%
Warburg Pincus
91.0%
Vista Equity Partners
89.6%
Silver Lake
88.1%
TPG Global
86.6%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
85.1%

Percentile calculated only based off of private equity firms that received at least two interview insights (67 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Best Interview Experience (1)
What fund has the best interview experience?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Bain Capital
98.5%
Hamilton Lane
97.0%
Brown Brothers Harriman
95.5%
Carlyle Group
94.0%
Partners Group
92.5%
Teachers Private Capital
91.0%
Blackstone Group
89.6%
Leonard Green and Partners
88.1%
Carl Marks and Co
86.6%
EnCap Investments L.P.
85.1%

Percentile calculated only based off of private equity firms that received at least two interview insights (67 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Prepare for Your Private Equity Interview

Professional Growth and Career Opportunities - 72 Private Equity Firms

Overall Employee Satisfaction (1)
Overall how satisfied are you working for this company?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Fortress Investment Group
94.4%
Shore Capital Partners
93.1%
Avondale Partners
91.7%
Summit Partners
90.3%
Colony Capital LLC
88.9%
Permira Advisers
87.5%
Apollo Global Management
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Professional Growth Opportunities (1)
Your opportunities for professional growth?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.3%
The Riverside Company
95.9%
Fortress Investment Group
94.5%
Audax Group
93.2%
Permira Advisers
91.8%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
90.4%
Avondale Partners
89.0%
Hypatia Capital Group
87.7%
Warburg Pincus
86.3%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (73 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Career Advancement Opportunities (1)
Your opportunities for career advancement?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.3%
The Riverside Company
95.9%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
94.5%
Audax Group
93.2%
Fortress Investment Group
91.8%
Hypatia Capital Group
90.4%
Warburg Pincus
89.0%
Tenaska Capital Management
87.7%
Apollo Global Management
86.3%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (73 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Intern Offer Rates (1)
Average percentage of interns receiving full time offers
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
75.0%
Sberbank CIB
70.0%
Colony Capital LLC
50.0%
Avondale Partners
50.0%
Audax Group
45.0%
Tenaska Capital Management
40.0%
Hamilton Lane
30.0%
Advent International Corporation
30.0%
3i
20.0%
Amundi
20.0%
Carlyle Group
20.0%

Simple average based off of private equity firms that received at least one intern offer data point (11 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Company Specific Salary and Bonus Data Available

Promotions and Fairness - 72 Private Equity Firms

Feedback (1)
Feedback you receive about your job performance?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Carlyle Group
98.6%
Blackstone Group
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Avondale Partners
94.4%
Hypatia Capital Group
93.1%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
91.7%
Audax Group
90.3%
Warburg Pincus
88.9%
Permira Advisers
87.5%
Shore Capital Partners
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Best Recognition (1)
Recognition and praise you receive when you do a good job?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Hypatia Capital Group
94.4%
Shore Capital Partners
93.1%
Avondale Partners
91.7%
Warburg Pincus
90.3%
Permira Advisers
88.9%
Apollo Global Management
87.5%
Partners Group
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Most Fair (1)
Fairness in how promotions are given and people are treated?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
Avondale Partners
95.8%
The Riverside Company
94.4%
Fortress Investment Group
93.1%
Colony Capital LLC
91.7%
Tenaska Capital Management
90.3%
Shore Capital Partners
88.9%
Hypatia Capital Group
87.5%
Warburg Pincus
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Company Specific Salary and Bonus Data Available

Compensation - 72 Private Equity Firms

Best Pay (1)
Your compensation compared with similar jobs elsewhere?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.3%
Cerberus Capital Management
95.9%
The Riverside Company
94.5%
Fortress Investment Group
93.2%
Warburg Pincus
91.8%
Permira Advisers
90.4%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
89.0%
Apollo Global Management
87.7%
Summit Partners
86.3%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (73 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Company Specific Salary and Bonus Data Available

Senior Management - 72 Private Equity Firms

Best Communication (1)
Communications from management about important issues and changes?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
Avondale Partners
95.8%
The Riverside Company
94.4%
Hypatia Capital Group
93.1%
Colony Capital LLC
91.7%
Shore Capital Partners
90.3%
Permira Advisers
88.9%
Summit Partners
87.5%
Audax Group
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Best Teamwork (1)
Information and knowledge sharing withing company?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Colony Capital LLC
97.2%
Carlyle Group
95.8%
The Riverside Company
94.4%
Avondale Partners
93.1%
Warburg Pincus
91.7%
Shore Capital Partners
90.3%
H.I.G. Capital
88.9%
Hypatia Capital Group
87.5%
Apollo Global Management
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Best Leadership (1)
Leadership abilities of senior management?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Avondale Partners
94.4%
Hypatia Capital Group
93.1%
Shore Capital Partners
91.7%
Fortress Investment Group
90.3%
Colony Capital LLC
88.9%
Tenaska Capital Management
87.5%
Warburg Pincus
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Competence (1)
Competence of senior management?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
Carlyle Group
97.2%
Audax Group
95.8%
The Riverside Company
94.4%
Avondale Partners
93.1%
Shore Capital Partners
91.7%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
90.3%
Fortress Investment Group
88.9%
Summit Partners
87.5%
H.I.G. Capital
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Company Specific Salary and Bonus Data Available

Reputation - 72 Private Equity Firms

Proudest Employees (1)
Company as a place you are proud to work?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Blackstone Group
98.6%
KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Colony Capital LLC
94.4%
Carlyle Group
93.1%
Avondale Partners
91.7%
Cerberus Capital Management
90.3%
Fortress Investment Group
88.9%
Tenaska Capital Management
87.5%
Permira Advisers
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Company Specific Data Available

Life Style - 72 Private Equity Firms

Time Off (1)
Management support for needed time off?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Carlyle Group
98.6%
Blackstone Group
97.2%
Avondale Partners
95.8%
The Riverside Company
94.4%
Hypatia Capital Group
93.1%
Colony Capital LLC
91.7%
Partners Group
90.3%
HarbourVest
88.9%
Fortress Investment Group
87.5%
Tenaska Capital Management
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Best Work/Life Balance (1)
Employer support in balancing between work life and personal life?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Carlyle Group
98.6%
Blackstone Group
97.2%
The Riverside Company
95.8%
Avondale Partners
94.4%
Hypatia Capital Group
93.1%
Fortress Investment Group
91.7%
Colony Capital LLC
90.3%
HarbourVest
88.9%
Shore Capital Partners
87.5%
Partners Group
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Worst Work/Life Balance (1)
Employer support in balancing between work life and personal life?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Onex
98.6%
Silver Oak Services Partners
97.2%
AEA Investors
95.8%
CIM Group
94.4%
Diamond Castle
93.1%
Mirae Asset
91.7%
Chatham Capital
90.3%
Ardian
88.9%
The Abraaj Group
87.5%
Millstein and Co
86.1%

Percentile calculated based off of adjusted score only for private equity firms that received at least one vote (72 total firms). See Methodology FAQ below for more information.

Most Average Hours Worked (1)
How many hours do you work an average?
Firm
YoY Δ
Percentile
Silver Lake
87.5
Court Square Capital Partners
85.0
Onex
81.7
Warburg Pincus
80.7
AEA Investors
80.0
Audax Group
80.0
Centerbridge Partners
80.0
Wasserstein & Co.
78.3
Gores Group
77.5
Sankaty Advisors
77.5
Permira Advisers
77.5
Gryphon Investors
77.5
Montgomery & Co.
75.0
Castle Harlan
75.0
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
75.0
The Sterling Group
75.0
Golden Gate Capital
74.0
Blackstone Group
74.0
Colony Capital LLC
73.3
Pantheon Ventures
73.3
Leonard Green and Partners
72.5
Cerberus Capital Management
71.9
Level Equity
71.7
Charlesbank Capital Partners
71.7
Sun Capital
71.7
Apollo Global Management
70.0
Sterling Partners
70.0
Thoma Bravo
70.0
Phatisa
70.0
GTCR
70.0

Only includes private equity firms that received at least three submissions with hourly data (95 total firms).

Company Specific Salary and Bonus Data Available

Methodology FAQ

How often is this data updated?
The rankings are constantly changing and evolving based on additional data we collect every day. The graphs and tables use the data from YTD and the prior 2 years. See tabs located above on this page to access previous year rankings.
Why do the average compensation numbers look so low?
Remember that the compensation you are accustomed to hearing for top performers in the top groups in New York is well above the average for cities around the world. The compensation average graphs are a global average which includes regional cities and groups that bring the average down. If you would like company and group specific compensation data, please visit the WSO Company Database.
Where does this data come from?
The compensation, review and interview data comes from WSO member submissions to the WSO Company Database. With over 50,000 submissions to date across thousands of companies, the database is solely a representation of what our members were paid and how they rank companies on various metrics. Please see below for a detailed breakdown of the member statistics for those that have contributed to the database.
What are the percentile rankings based on?
The percentile rankings of companies listed here are based on the current YTD and the prior two years of data for companies that received at least one vote. The simple average scores are converted into an Adjusted Score before the companies are ranked to take into account companies with a smaller sample size. This method uses Bayesian Statistics.
Why do you use Bayesian Statistics to adjust scores?
This methodology is used in order to account for standard deviation in rankings. As a company gets more rankings and data, we have more confidence that the average ranking is a true reflection of reality, so this is reflected in the adjusted scores and Percentile rankings. Learn more about Bayesian Statistics here.
Why don't I see company XYZ?
Some great smaller firms may not be represented in the rankings for the simple reason that we have not collected enough data to represent them accurately or for us to have enough data to display them at all.
What is the geographical representation of the submissions?
The WSO user base is very US-centric with approximately 70% of all submissions coming within the United States of America. Please see the detailed breakdown of the member statistics for those that have contributed to the database. For more company and city specific compensation, please visit the WSO Company Database.