Mercer Reviews

Pros

Exposure to diverse client base across Asia Pacific, allows travel to cover the region and secondment. Great training ground across a vast array of services.

Cons

Very rigid remuneration policy and limited bonus potential until you hit Principal. Feel over-achievers are not sufficiently rewarded.
Cost control over the past 4 years makes covering the region difficult, no business class until 9 hours.

Advice to Senior Management

Greater focus on employee engagement is required. The people who performn the majority of work are not suffliciently recognised and rewarded, hence the level of turnover experienced this year to date and expected to continue.

Pros

-Great Benefits.
-Great Building/Location.
-Great Place to learn this line of business.

Cons

-Below market pay.
-Minimal employee recognition
-Kissing up gets you promoted.
-Favoritism which results in low morale.
-Favoritism within HR.

Advice to Senior Management

P.S. mgmt team must listen to employee feedback and and not just focus on reducing operation costs.

Pros

Good Benefits and Health Insurance

Cons

Most people are just trying to get through their day and/or are looking for other jobs. Salary is very low for the industry. Management is completely disconnected and clueless. High performers are worked until they burn out and leave. Very competitive and political, no knowledge sharing or teamwork anymore.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a clue

Pros

Pay was at upper end of industry

Cons

they hire temps constantly , telling you they want to hire permanently, but no one makes it.out of almost 20 of us in one class no one made it past 5 months. If the phones slow down a little they run you out the door. then everyone complains how shorthanded they are. The hours canbe long and seemingly without purpoe, several of my colleagues would sit fo rhours at night without a call, but having to "look busy."

Advice to Senior Management

keep people! permanent employess tend to care more.

Pros

It is the best work-life balance you can get in the asset management industry. Not much pressure at junior levels.

Cons

The firm is always restructuring and re-branding, which adds problems to already confused employees who are dealing with new bosses and clienteles

Advice to Senior Management

Keep management decisions transparent and let employees know how they can add value to clients, not to restructuring effort or M&A.

Pros

Room for Advancement is a big pro. Promotions are available

Cons

Feel low end of salary

Advice to Senior Management

Offer Salary ranges

Pros

Great place to build a resume as there's lots of different projects to get your hands on.

Cons

low retention - average service for juniors is about 2 years
poor work/life balance

Pros

Awesome people and a wonderful community.

Cons

Difficult to see how you move up.

Advice to Senior Management

Clearly career trajectory.

Pros

Excellent resources and reputation in health and benefits industry. Many long term clients, who are great to work with. Many high quality, intelligent professionals, who have integrity. In some areas, a thought leading organization. Benefits are very good.

Cons

Very poor performance management and rewards system; it tends to protect the long tenured employee, even if they do not operate with integrity or do the best for the clients interests. Promotion is very difficult, but demotion of poor performers does not occur. Management makes a show of promoting employee engagement and a team environment, but its actions speak much louder than words. The current approach is management by spreadsheet. Goals and billable hours have been raised so high, that working anything less than 50-60 hours a week (or taking a vacation) is a fantasy, and we are perpetually short staffed. There is a pervasive sadness through-out the organization, as people try to "get through it". It has been very wearing on the spirit. People I respect are leaving. Privately, there are comments from many (up through partner level) that current management is ruining a good organization.

Advice to Senior Management

The approach of managing through spreadsheets is failing at the people level. Teamwork is not a successful strategy at Mercer for reward, recognition and promotion; competitiveness with colleagues and hoarding knowledge and information are necessary coping skills that many practice daily. You are wearing out the people who are the future of the company.

Pros

Quality people and respected brand name

Cons

Compensation relative to production of revenue

Advice to Senior Management

Promote a sales culture