Pros
Let me start by saying that I valued my three years at Hanover, primarily the relationships established with both co-workers, as well as clients, which have continued beyond the job. For those who are fresh out of college or still new to the market research industry, Hanover is an adequate launching career launching pad, where you will get exposure to various tools and methodologies as well as a variety of clients who operate across a myriad of industries or academia depending on the coverage area you are looking at (corporate or education research). For those who are coming in as experienced hires, the pros are fewer to none depending on where you’re coming from. However, it may be an optimal change of scenery if you are coming from a separate industry or a specific vertical-focused role, and are looking to pivot your career deeper into market research with Hanover acting as your pit-stop. Given this, I am still recommending and referring those looking to start or change their career path, but am hesitant to do so for those looking to further their career in market research.
Cons
On the other hand, there are quite a few areas of concern and red flags at Hanover that you should be aware of before taking that interview or accepting an offer (especially if you are an experienced hire, and even more so if you are coming from another market research firm): 1. Culture – As others have mentioned, the people support is lacking, and this results in an overall "cog-the-wheel mentality" among a lot of people. HR seems to be more concerned about replying to Glassdoor reviews than engaging with employees on the lower floors i.e. it’s common to never see someone from HR proactively engage between your first week and your exit interview. Furthermore, internal politics are noticeable, with many recent promotions & role changes across departments where no internal interview rounds are done resulting in people being overlooked who are more qualified. Favoritism also rears its head in an organizational manner, where at times it’s perceived that sales/revenue is held in a higher regard. Last, Hanover likes to call itself an AMA Top 50 MR firm as has been noted from their replies here, however, be aware this list is purely based on reported revenue as the company does not have an organizational membership with any of the leading industry associations, let alone a presence in the industry (which has resulted in misconceptions & brand confusion). 2. Leadership – A majority of the upper management do not have backgrounds or education in market research and/or they have been at Hanover the majority of their career which leads to a very myopic view of the industry at large (since the company as a whole is not engaged in the industry). For experienced hires coming from other market research firms, this should come as a glaring red flag and is something I regret not doing my homework on. Not only this, but the upper management team tends to ignore or write-off feedback from those not directly below them and insulates themselves from the actual people who are on the frontlines. A perfect example is right here on Glassdoor, where the Chief Content Officer replied, “I must confess to being baffled by some of the issues you mention.” Vision from leadership also tends to change as frequently as the organizational structure, and is not always clear; this can also be said in how this translates into the products and services being developed, which can be DOA given those developing the products are not experienced in the industry or with the types of clients they are developing the products for (and disregard feedback from those who have experience in these exact initiatives). 3. Benefits – While the healthcare benefits are on par with other consulting or market research firms of similar size, the 401(k) is severely lacking not only it’s matching (2%), but also in the overall fund portfolio diversity. You’ll get better returns from an IRA, independent index-fund, or high-yield savings account outside of Hanover. Bonus potential wise, continued reforms to payout less are on a downward trajectory for those on the research side compared to those in sales/revenue, and at times do not align with industry standard bonus structures for researchers, so be prepared to depend more on your base salary. Raises in comp typically only come with promotions, and for those coming in as an experienced hire, you could end up waiting 2-3+ years to only see a raise that is equivalent to a COLA bump. 4. Professional Development – While Hanover has made improvements in this area (creating more focused L&D modules and pathways for analysts/entry-level), they still have a long way to go, especially for experienced hires who have mastered many of the tools and methodologies involved with the work. Currently there isn’t much for experienced hires, as Hanover is typically hesitant to invest in higher cost development that comes with experienced professionals i.e. industry conferences, skilled training in advanced methodologies from outside sources (there is no education reimbursement like many other firms), etc.
