Pros
-Peer group is smart, fun, and the only thing that gets you out of bed and into the office on some days. -Hires smart, driven (albeit, directionless) folks; grants responsibility early if you prove functional.
Cons
-GLG is confused about who it wants to be when they grow up. Strategy arbitrarily shifts on a quarterly basis, leaving the bulk of employees discouraged, confused, and “back to square one” with regards to achieving their goals. -Investors drive unrealistic growth expectations that are then endorsed by the C-Suite and pummeled down the pipeline to the front lines. Despite triple digit YoY growth, expectations push ever-hire despite a shrinking market. -“Research” groups do not conduct research. The role is largely similar to working in an outsourced administrative services company. You can expect to spend the bulk of your time scheduling calls in lieu of your clients’ PAs. Other work perks include long hours (evenings, holidays, and weekends), as well as a long string of metrics that are subject to change every 6 weeks. GLG will cite being “a fast, dynamic company” as the reason for this if you ask in an interview. On the contrary, this is a reflection of the strategic identity crisis they’ve been in the midst of for 24 months and/or a reaction to an offering that’s come to light from a competitor. -If you’re on a product team, you can expect to be treated like a second class citizen. Job perks include getting paid less than your peers in the “Research” departments, fighting tooth-and-nail for ostensible table scraps for your teams, and the occasional promise of breakthroughs in technology. These teams are severely understaffed, despite running margins hire than any other segment of the company. -HR in conjunction with senior influence endorses an environment of dubious hiring/firing practices (or the most loved “managing out” process). They preach diversity, yet every incoming class of associates is a carbon copy of the last - white, proto-Fratboy/girl reflections of one another. The occasional token person of color. Losing the head of HR in Austin as a proponent was a grave mistake. Truly, the only person with character in that entire department. -Communication is GLG’s biggest challenge. With funding, they’ve grown rapidly in size over the course of the past few years. Despite growth, they continue to operate at a Freshman level with regards to expectation management, top-down communication, and in empowering their managers to be transparent with their teams.