Merrill Reviews

Pros

Merrill is a good place to work as it is very flexible and understanding. The balance between work and life is encouraged.

Cons

Most of the time, the environment feels static. Rarely we have a dynamic thing going on. New things are slowly introduced.

Advice to Senior Management

none.

Pros

Great atmosphere, excellent standing in the marketplace

Cons

long hours, recent acquisitions were costly

Advice to Senior Management

focus on the core businesses

Pros

Great people to work with. Compensation is fair and reasonable. The work is highly stimulating and opportunities to move upwards exist.

Cons

The hours are at times very long and tough. Sometimes the pace of the job can be extremely strenuous and demanind mentally and physically.

Advice to Senior Management

I think having townhall meetings often are a good way to promote good will and to be transparent with all employees.

Pros

There are not many other than the fact that the environment is somewhat loose and casual. The dress code is business casual.

Cons

No support of employees when client site is lost. No support from upper management in keeping people employed when a site has been lost.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop lying to people about opportunities being available when there are really no viable opportunities. Reward people for hard work and dedication.

Pros

Entrepenurial environment in which you won't be micro-managed. Dedicated, hard-working people that are passionate about their work.

Cons

Management has no shared strategy or objective, and is more focused on posturing for position in an extremely political climate rather than on what is best for the company and clients. There have been steady layoffs, wage freezes and travel and spending restrictions over the past year.

Advice to Senior Management

Improve communication, do what you say you are going to do, and quit providing lip service. Invest in real technology that works, and remove the cancers in the management team.

Pros

It must be Training, teamwork

Cons

I think it would be fast change

Advice to Senior Management

knuckle down

Pros

Merrill has lots of employees that have been around for a long time, and another group that have been around not long at all and turn over. These are the folks that want to grow and advance and get paid at least the Market rate for salary. The culture is more family-like than most and that probably keeps the long-timers around. Positions are pretty stable and predictable.

Cons

Not much room for careen advancement due the to limited size of the company. Often to move up in the company you're waiting for people to leave the company to create an opening. Overall, pay is under the market average. Hearing from co-workers still there, benefits have been cut in 2009 and pay frozen, 401k match is gone.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want to retain talent, get pay up to market rates.

Pros

foot in the door if you find a job in the area in which you want to work
some 401 K match
choice of medical benefits

Cons

management will pay as little as possible, that is how they make a profit as a vendor and it shows
most employees have a great deal of stress from unhappy clients

Advice to Senior Management

train your managers on how to manage and treat employees

Pros

My paycheck doesn't bounce. Intelligent coworkers who share the same sentiments and are just waiting for solid leadership with vision to take the helm.

Cons

Very little opportunity to advance within your area of expertise. Workforce is rife with incompetency at important levels which cause enormous inefficiencies downstream. Knowledge sharing and training are virtually non-existent where it matters most. Very painful to see simple projects with huge potential to generate revenue fail.

Advice to Senior Management

Support what is proven effective. Reward those who are an integral part of the development of these systems and stop sinking money into projects which do not offer a significant return. Bells and whistles do not pay the bills.

Pros

Merrill is involved in so many aspects of business that many fields are covered.

Cons

They do not seem to excel in any of those above fields and seem to be satisfied with being "mediocre". "superstar" contributors are not particularly encouraged. The company is very top-heavy. As such decisions take a long time to make and often it is not the right person making the decision. The senior management isn't very equipped to think far in the future, but rather 3-6 months ahead. This means the whole company is always scrambling. I think a change in leadership, with visionary people who are experts in their fields is important.

Advice to Senior Management

Step aside. If you want to get into the Legal Services business you need to know that business. The senior management needs to empower lower management to do things.