Strong brand, leadership instability and HR politics holding the firm back - Vice President GLG Employee Review

1.0
Feb 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

GLG has a strong market position and a well-known brand in the industry. The core business model is solid and continues to have demand. There are many smart and hardworking employees across functions. The company also offers exposure to interesting clients and industries, which can be valuable for learning and career growth.

Cons

The biggest issue at GLG is the recurring and unstable, unqualified leadership changes. Because of repeated shifts in leadership direction, the company has never been able to settle into a consistent operating rhythm. For one, the company doesn't have a COO. Every time a new leader comes in, priorities change. Strategies are reworked. Teams are reorganized. This creates instability and confusion. Employees feel like they are constantly reacting rather than building something long-term. Leadership is also heavily factionalized. Different senior leaders appear to operate in separate camps or “tribes.” It's literally Game of Thrones. 6 Instead of working as one aligned team, there is internal competition and political maneuvering. This creates silos, slows down decision-making, and reduces trust across the organization. Two areas need urgent attention: 1. Human Resources Almost all HR Business Partners seem to have limited understanding of the actual business operations. Ask them what GLG does and they will have different answers. Instead of acting as strategic partners, HR often becomes a source of rigidity and internal politics. Frameworks are applied mechanically without context. Employees frequently feel that HR is not there to support them but to protect internal power structures. In my view, HR politics and inflexible processes are a major reason why good employees leave the firm. 2. Leadership Transparency and Courage There is a lack of clear, transparent decision-making at the top. When difficult decisions are made — including layoffs — leadership does not communicate openly about the real reasons. Explanations feel incomplete or overly sanitized. This erodes trust. Employees can handle tough decisions, but they need honesty and clarity. Avoiding transparency damages morale far more than the decision itself.

Explore other reviews about GLG

5.0
Mar 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing people - lots of reviews say that because it's true. You'll work with smart, genuine, hard working humans. Good benefits and perks. Interesting events and opportunities to learn. Overall, a good place to start your career!

Cons

Very fast-paced environment which definitely isn't for everyone. Lots of necessary change.

1.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The trauma bond nature of this job does bring you to meet those people who can go on to be real friends. If you want a job to be your social circle, GLG is just the place for you. Some of the health benefits are well worth it and far above industry standard.

Cons

There is not a single aspect of the company that has not depreciated in some noticeable way over the past three years (since Gemma took the helm). - Amenities have been stripped in every office (if your office is lucky enough to have survived) without any meaninful replacements. Multiple lunches a week have turned into pizza parties, but only when internal systems break. All US offices are failing for unique reasons. - Pay has increased unilaterally in the US twice in five years, once solely through a massive reorg and realignment of role scope. Raises are now tied to highly tiered (and capped) performance evaluations. Bonus schemes shift every year to remove payout at all seniorities, and the changes are not communicated in a forum where questions can be asked. - Technology integration has been haphasard at best and destructive at worst (e.g., AI tools cannot meet basic compliance requirements for tier 1 clients at go-live date). - Senior Leadership has not had a single 30-day period go by where the full Global Head+ org has stayed the same in nearly three years. Middle management has become almost entirely EMEA-based or EU citizens as they could not be laid off unlilke their US counterparts. - Organizational structures have collapsed, with senior leaders managing multiple mismatched groups of functional or client-facing roles, either in the name of cost savings or because someone saw double-digit growth for an entirely different segment over a decade ago. - Financial health, strategy updates, and company wide updates are effectively done. Any company- or BU-wide meetings are chances for internal PR; this also explains why they stopped doing them in-person (including when they're done on in-office days). - Resource allocation prioritizes those who already have them (e.g., more SVPs went on a President's Club trip than Managers, following only Senior Leaders in headcount). - ERGs are functionally dead, with stale group chats and programming locked behind whoever was the last person on an eboard years ago. Hiring diversity has plummeted and the organization is failing to attract talent that even understands what the job is (let alone could be considered top talent for it). Every day at GLG is another day figuring out what can be squeezed every so tightly further.

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