We've managed to get our hands on the responses to a survey Morgan Stanley took of its real estate department back in 2005. Even while the mortgage boom was ramping up, Morgan Stanley had serious retention and morale issues with this group. Eventually these responses were transformed into a management power point addressing the issue.

The responses range from trivial comments about beverages--there apparently wasn't any Red Bull in the vending machines--to more serious issues about compensation. "Since we work harder a solution would be to increase our compensation," one respondent says.

Many of the responses will be familiar to anyone who has worked in an investment bank--complaints about hours worked and feelings of being treated shabbily. "As the bottom rung of the ladder, I realize we have little to no control over our lives or what goes on in this place," on of the Morgan Stanley employees says. "The trick is not to let us know that."

Of course, complaints about co-workers also get mentioned. "There are certain associates and VPs which are extremely difficult and painful to work for. This is obviously something that cannot be eliminated, but should be mitigated wherever possible," one person resigned to working for awful people writes.

After the jump, a link to download the entire set of responses.

Morgan Stanley Real Estate.pdf