Pros
The people and the culture. I work with incredibly smart, supportive, kind colleagues who are focused on getting work done without ego or need for individual glory. My manager trusts me to own my business with no micromanaging. My colleagues challenge me and teach me something new pretty much every day – they are the most talented group of professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. If you read through recent reviews, you know the company has been going through an unusual amount of change in a short period of time – emotions are running high. Here’s another perspective: Hybrid Work. We’re required to be in the office two days/week. The CEO was straightforward that the return to office was not about productivity, but about energy and culture. I like the balance – being in the office with people is energizing, and I still have the flexibility to work from home more than 50% of the time. The company sold the previous Anywhere Work policy hard, but always said we would test, learn, and adapt and change if it wasn’t working. I have many friends who are required to be in the office three days/week. Forrester seems pretty progressive by comparison. Could the hybrid roll-out been communicated with more grace? Yes. Compensation. If you’re looking for the most money, don’t come to Forrester. Some people get lured away by bigger bucks elsewhere and some come back for the people and the culture and the work (we call them boomerangs). This year, comp is a sore point. The annual 3% merit increase is on hold due to our poor performance last year. The Exec Team said the decision to pause the merit increase was made to save jobs during the recent layoff (4% of the company). A lot of reviews mention a lack of bonuses, so here’s what really went down: this year’s bonus is 75% based on our performance last year (it was supposed to be 65% but the CEO got the Board to increase it to 75%). Not great, but not a disaster. What nobody writes about is that our bonuses were 160% last year. Bonuses fluctuate – it has mostly evened out over time. It’s called a “bonus” for a reason – I never count on it. Culture. Wow – I don’t recognize the supposed toxic culture that a lot of people have written about of late. The culture is fundamentally the same as before in my opinion – there’s a lot of humanity here. What some employees have identified as an erosion of the culture is more likely the optics around how a lot of information was communicated of late. The Exec Team will have to win back some trust. Diversity. I’ve never personally experienced or witnessed the microaggressions some have written about here. D&I is more of a focus, and part of the conversation here, than at any time since I started, and that includes the recent hiring of a Director of D&I for the first time. This is definitely a moment - the past month has been a perfect storm of change and bad news: layoffs, poor financial performance, return to office, product transformation. Painful? For sure. Are we different than many other companies? No. For the employees who are so angry at Forrester, it’s a free market. I hope you find job satisfaction elsewhere. Please don’t tear down the company on your way out.
Cons
If you’re looking for a rocket ship ride of growth, Forrester’s long-term track record won’t impress. It’s a nice business that kicks off a healthy cash flow. But if you’re looking for double-digit growth, a huge equity payout, and the most dollars, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
