Culture has taken a turn for the worst ever since Sherri Kottman left - Anonymous Forrester Employee Review

2.0
Jan 28, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- People and individual team culture is great. - Good work/life balance. - A wealth of knowledge that we have access to in our research.

Cons

- Terrible, below market compensation. - Ever since former CPO, Sherri left it seems empathy and humanity left with her. Executive team makes decisions based on George's personal MO without considering how it'll affect the "little" people. - Required 2 days/week in office policy implemented after George soaked up the positive attention from The Boston Globe article promoting "anywhere work." - No data or research to back up the return to office mandate. Saying that employees contribute "energy" to the office is a really funny and ironic reason. Especially for a research organization. - Executive team has completely lost touch. After laying off 80 people, some executives joined the next company meeting mentioning their second/ third vacation homes when most employees don't make enough money to afford ONE home. Get a clue. - After changing our PTO policy, pausing promotions, merit increases, and laying off 80 people, HR announced free access to Headspace--a meditation resource. Is this a prank? It feels like a prank. Where is Ashton Kutcher hiding? - The company does not invest enough into sales enablement, constantly changes product offering and access and simultaneously puts the blame on sales for our 2% decline in annual revenue. - Predatory policy against anonymous questions posted in company meetings. Many of the people who were vocal about concerns were laid off. Coincidence? I think not. - HUGE lack of diversity on the executive team and company as a whole. They try to make up for this by hosting DEI events but it is very clear that the company actually doesn't care about DEI. This is made evident by the lack of thought to accessibility and socioeconomic concerns with the return to office policy.

Explore other reviews about Forrester

5.0
Jun 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Forrester is a truly rewarding place to work. I feel like I make a meaningful difference every day, both for our clients and within the organization. The colleagues here are exceptional. They are smart, collaborative, and genuinely supportive. I’m constantly learning from a talented group of people who care deeply about the quality of their work and the impact it has. The culture encourages thoughtful problem-solving, professional growth, and doing work that matters.

Cons

The most challenging aspect right now is the current business performance, which can create uncertainty and added pressure across teams. At times, this environment can impact workloads, decision-making speed, and overall predictability.

2
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Forrester Response
1mo
Thank you for your many years of contribution to Forrester ! I’m really glad to hear how strongly you feel about your colleagues and the impact of the work. It's wonderful to see the combination of thoughtful problem-solving, collaboration, and meaningful outcomes reflected in your experience. You’re also right to call out the challenges of the current business environment. Periods of change and performance pressure can create uncertainty, and I know that can impact workload, pace, and predictability. I am confident we are on the right path towards growth this year and it wouldnt have been possible without great colleagues like you. Thank you again for your candid feedback, it means a great deal coming from someone with such deep experience at Forrester. Jobina Gonsalves Chief People Officer
3.0
Jun 23, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people work here, work-life balance is ideal if you have a good manager.

Cons

Morale is low, leadership is extremely out of touch with the sentiments of the workforce.

1
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