Charles River Associates FAQ
Have questions about working at Charles River Associates? Read answers to frequently asked questions to help you make a choice before applying to a job or accepting a job offer.
Whether it's about compensation and benefits, culture and diversity, or you're curious to know more about the work environment, find out from employees what it's like to work at Charles River Associates.
All answers shown come directly from Charles River Associates Reviews and are not edited or altered.
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(select only 1)46 English questions out of 46
February 22, 2021
What is paid time off like at Charles River Associates?
Pros
CRA is exceptionally organized, and works like a well-oiled machine. You will be able to work on a wide array of projects in many different areas. The problems are challenging, but interesting. You will become very proficient in whatever tools you use to solve those problems.
Cons
Work-life balance is nonexistent. Management touts “flexibility” in workload, but this flexibility is only meant to provide you with more work- very seldom are you encouraged to rest during periods of less work. As an analyst, you will be expected to work at a moment’s notice during nights, weekends, and holidays. Making personal plans and sticking to any kind of schedule is very difficult. Day-to-day experiences will vary wildly by project, and especially by project manager. Some project managers are organized, communicative, and considerate. Some are the polar opposite. You are expected to perform consistently across all of these projects- very little (if any) responsibility is placed on poor project managers. The overall culture at CRA is broken. Despite putting in the majority of the work, analysts don’t get to experience any ownership of the projects- they forfeit all successes and shoulder the mistakes. Even the best project managers are pushed to their breaking point by the tremendous pressures that upper management puts on them to take on more projects and promise faster deadlines. The generous amount of PTO given to employees is hardly ever utilized. Working in this type of atmosphere, the general dissatisfaction is apparent to everyone, but verbally recognized by no one (for fear of seeming unmotivated or lagging behind). Many of the junior staff learn to accept this “churn-and-burn” type of culture, which is truly unfortunate.
Advice to Management
So many of the cons above are the direct result of upper management (and the consulting industry in general) believing that “this is the way it has always been, so this is the way it must be.” There must be a large-scale reckoning with the fact that they are forcing their employees to work outside the bounds of human needs and abilities.
The generous amount of PTO given to employees is hardly ever utilized.
February 22, 2021
May 13, 2022
Does Charles River Associates offer relocation assistance?
Pros
An excellent place to start your career. You can learn a lot in a concise time. Clear career development path. Good benefit package.
Cons
no great work-life balance especially during pandemics
Good benefit package.
May 13, 2022
April 19, 2022
Does Charles River Associates offer massages?
Pros
CRA cares about the employees and provides generous in-office perks like free lunches, happy hours and hosts external events for employees.
Cons
The corporate side is understaffed.
office perks like free lunches, happy hours and hosts external events for employees.
April 19, 2022
February 1, 2022
Does Charles River Associates offer dental insurance?
Pros
Good exit opportunities; Great people and culture; Competitive bonus pay; good health and dental insurance plan;
Cons
Most people leave in 1-2 years; long hours; typical work life balance like other consulting
Good exit opportunities; Great people and culture; Competitive bonus pay; good health and dental insurance plan;
February 1, 2022
January 27, 2021
Does Charles River Associates have a pension plan?
Pros
Great people Good benefits scheme Pension scheme Private insurance Supportive colleagiate style work environment
Cons
Poor work/life balance, almost as though its frowned upon to not keep working until midnight, all junior staff are under the impression this is required
Advice to Management
Instill efficiency into juniors, with a hybrid between quality and speed, not quality at the cost of personal life
Pension scheme
January 27, 2021
46 English questions out of 46
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