High pressure, terrible work-life balance, no recognition for hard work - An Analyst Forrester Employee Review

2.0
Mar 9, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Stimulating job. - Opportunity to meet with companies across the world in all kinds of industries. - Being paid to think. - Tremendous variety of work: writing; speaking; media interviews; quant analysis; travel; etc. etc. - Interesting & smart colleagues.

Cons

- High pressure, with just brief relief at each quarter start. - Unpredictable client demands makes planning any social life impossible. - Quarterly targets, including high $ consultancy targets for analysts that are also expected to deliver research reports for the subscription/syndicated offering. - Out of touch senior management. - Increasingly, US-based and US-focused decision making. This damages Forrester's ability to compete outside the US. - Highly hierarchical management culture that encourages only good news to go upward. - Large company culture, but deludes itself that it still has a small company culture. - Research is usually not peer reviewed and discussed, often only a single editor reviews an analysts' work. Why? Analysts and other research staff are too busy meeting consultancy $ targets...

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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