You’re probably reading very mixed reviews here and thinking this place can’t be that bad. Rather than writing a review that is easy for the organization to discount as another disengaged employee who can be dismissed via a one paragraph reply from HR, I’m not going to offer any judgment but instead I’m going to offer some thoughts on the research I think you should do if you are considering a role here. Specifically if you are considering a role in consulting and are a high-potential person with an MBA or the desire to build a career at your place of employment.
First, I’d encourage you to talk to any person that has a high quality resume and great experience that used to work here and asked them why they left. Those stories will be more powerful than any individual review here.
And here are some questions you may want to ask:
How has the company performed from a revenue perspective over the last 8 years? Where is the growth coming from? Is this the part of the business you will be working in?
Where do high caliber MBAs who work at Gallup end up later in their careers?
When looking at reviews, does it seem like there is a wide variety in the types of roles represented here? Which reviews are relevant to the role you’re applying for?
To what degree does being apart of the Clifton family or a related entity matter in one’s progression at the company?
Look at the quality of research output: to what degree is Gallup innovative and ground-breaking in its research? To what degree is it recycling the same content about Employee Engagement and B2B/B2C Customer engagement each and very year? To what degree is this research very specific to industries, specifically high growth industries, and to what degree is the research generic and stale?
Is a company that sells research that is general across industries still relevant in a world where data collection and benchmarking are no longer a competitive advantage?
To what degree does Gallup promote a sales culture, quickly promoting and recognizing sales all-stars to leadership roles? To what degree does Gallup quickly promote and recognize consultants, thought leaders, and subject matter experts?
How diverse is Gallup’s consulting practice? How diverse is its leadership?
How long does it take to make it from the Consultant to the Senior Consultant level as compared to other top firms? How about from Senior Consultant to Managing Consultant?
How are projects allocated at Gallup? Are there people specifically focused on project distribution?
Within consulting, what is the criteria for promotion and what are the changes in responsibilities from level to level?
What is turnover like for employees who have been at Gallup for 1-3 years? What about at Gallup’s satellite locations?
To what degree is the knowledge gained as a consultant at Gallup transferable to a 1. Top-tier or second-tier consulting firm, 2. An industry role
And probably most importantly: For an organization that has the distinct vantage point of studying employee engagement and advising in the same for the world’s leading organizations for the past several decades, do the Glassdoor reviews and perspectives of former employees demonstrate a culture of practicing what they preach?
Good luck with your search. In the spirit of Gallup, don’t forget to utilize qualitative interviews and make a data-driven decision based on thorough research.
