After BlackRock acquired private credit firm Tennenbaum Capital Partners, more than a dozen employees left the small investment team. Former BlackRock employees say underwhelming pay and unfulfilled promises that the team could raise its own special situations fund led to widespread frustration and departures. The departures come as BlackRock aims to compete more aggressively in private credit, a key part of its high-priority alternatives push. Still, in recent years management has made it clear that its private investment capabilities need to be an important engine of growth. "It's not to say that the private credit market is easy to manage talent.

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