Pros
I have worked for GLG across multiple offices, business units and in a variety of roles and it has been the best professional experience of my career. I began as an entry-level employee and through a mixture of hard work, entrepreneurialism, intellectual curiosity, and a passion for the business I have risen to a more senior role and am the happiest I've ever been in my career. The caliber of GLG’s senior management team is in part what drew me to the company in the first place, and my continued confidence in them has inspired me to stay. GLG’s culture is undoubtedly results-oriented. Employees who perform are rewarded with advancement and compensation, as well as opportunities and responsibilities that would be difficult to find at many other employers. The people here who are most successful and happy are those who get excited by the opportunity to interact every day with the world’s smartest people, which include GLG’s Council Members and clients. If you are intimidated by those interactions, or view them as a chore, you will not be happy here. Those who demonstrate effort but are not good long-term fits for the company are treated thoughtfully and humanely, encouraged to find another career path, and often given help in finding other opportunities. The beautiful New York office and flexible work environment (activity based working and flexible leave policy) afford employees with an unusually progressive and civilized work environment. GLG’s management team makes no apologies for expecting excellence from its employees and generally holds themselves to the same high standards. When compared to other high-octane NYC career paths the hours are reasonable and GLG treats its employees like adults. Our CEO has taken a lot of heat on this website, and in my view much of it is unfair. As many have mentioned, Alexander is open and reflective about mistakes he has made, and has grown a lot in the past few years. At his core he is an intellectual with a burning passion for GLG’s mission to transform the market for teaching and learning. Some of Alexander’s critics on this website praise our senior management team but fail to acknowledge that Alexander selected them for their roles and continues to motivate and inspire them. Many at GLG appreciate the opportunity to learn from and be led by someone with deep experience in this business.
Cons
If you require a very structured work environment with significant daily guidance, you will likely not be successful at GLG. It is also a place where social animals tend to thrive.