Words cannot express how much I regret my decision to work here.
Pros
There's a lot of camaraderie amongst workers. I'm genuinely struggling for anything else after that.
Cons
First of all, you need to make no mistake about the fact that this is a call centre job. You will sit with your headset on for the vast majority of time, trying to get in touch with agents - who are doing everything they can to avoid your calls. When you do catch them, you are instructed to essentially be brass and get as much information as possible. The agents are rarely forthcoming ,and it can be a painful experience - not least of all, because you KNOW someone is listening in on your calls, and disciplinary measures will be instigated as soon as you don't hit targets. There's also a huge element of salesmanship to working here. Managers. There are a lot of them, and the vast majority have been promoted from research positions. This means they have no experience - and usually that is painfully telling. They go very quickly from being one of your comrades, to 'yes men' out to make a name for themselves. Managers almost never seem to be promoted on merit - I have worked in numerous jobs before, and I know that this happens everywhere, but the influence of the CoStar clique is unparalleled in my experience. I have witnessed people fabricate numbers to boost their bonus, get busted by a manager - and then promptly get promoted. Which brings me to discipline. Again, your status in the clique will HUGELY impact on your likelihood of disciplinary measures being taken against you - but if you're not kissing the right backside, be prepared to be hauled off to a meeting the second you don't hit your targets. Staff turnover is PHENOMENAL, and this is in no small part down to the number of times managers have been keen to make an impression, and have fired people. Honestly, I've seen it happen four times in the short time I've worked here - people have a short meeting with a manager, come out, walk to their desk in tears, pick up their coat, and are lead out. There is a MASSIVE culture of fear in the office - it's why there is such a strong sense of camaraderie. This fear culture drives people to get sloppy and cut corners in order to meet targets. A lot of the time, when you're faced with agents who have an increasing resentment towards you, and you know your manager is on your back as it is, it's an appealing idea. I came to CoStar with a genuine enthusiasm for doing the job as well as I possibly could, with a view to moving up the ladder and really making a career for myself. Within as short a time as three weeks, I realised I had made a mistake. Fast forward to six months, and all enthusiasm has been extinguished. The excessive and unrealistic pressures place on research associates alone is enough to make me hate getting out of bed on weekdays. However, couple that with the appalling management within the place, and the perpetual fear that you could be shown the door for almost no reason - it's been a nightmare. I have spoken to many colleagues before posting here, and with almost no exceptions we all feel the same.