GLG is confused about its own identity, and it shows - werkgeversreview Research Associate bij GLG

Where do I even start? First of all, jobs are not advertised for what they truly are. I've been out of this place for a while now but, when I started with the company, I was convinced I would be in a "research" position, doing "research" work. What you truly do, however, when you join the company, is working as call center operator or, to put it nicely, as a recruiter (although this does not do justice to the job actual recruiters do). It's hard to say if their recruiting strategy is to use such fancy titles to lure students from big-name universities to work for them so GLG can look like an attractive place to work, or if they simply are clueless about what research means. When I asked my interviewers what the average day at GLG looked like, they all provided descriptions that did not end up matching my day-to-day tasks. Instead, they used vague vocabulary such as "research", "projects", "client service". In fact, you basically scroll through LinkedIn trying to find senior and accomplished professionals that can block an hour off their schedule to MAYBE talk to your client (who is actually the client of some senior associate upstairs), if the client doesn't drop the "project" altogether. Here it is, in two lines. Why try to be fancy during interviews? Why try to recruit from great schools, when this is a job anyone with a high-school degree could do? Second, let's talk about GLG's metrics, defined by leadership (supposedly) through an algorithm that has never been shown to anyone. Metrics are a good thing, they are supposed to motivate employees, to keep them accountable and to allow for transparent career progression. Provided they make sense. Their metrics are purely quantitative (and quantitatively, they don't make sense). Management lets you know that there are also a number of qualitative metrics that are relevant to career progression. Truth is, they don't matter. As a result, in most cases, managers have no managerial skills and can barely communicate clearly with junior associates. Still, they can sell GLG very well over the phone and find ways to get in contact with strangers. This is emblematic of GLG's priorities. To sum it all up, at GLG you will learn how to look someone up on LinkedIn, how to find people's emails and phone numbers, to reply to emails at any time of the day (which is okay, but for a much different salary), to drink a lot of coffee, and to never question leadership's metrics. You will not become knowledgeable about the industries clients are looking to invest in. Some managers may acquire managerial skills, but that is entirely up to them and their sense of responsibility. There is absolutely NO knowledge or learning involved at GLG. Advice: if you have just graduated from college and have ANY type of passion, for ANY subject or topic in the world, don't take shortcuts. Don't go for the shiny pay and fancy title. Go work for someone who can get you into the industry you actually like, even if they can't pay you as much as GLG does. If you want to become a recruiter, this might be the right job for you.