Forrester reviews

2.8

35% would recommend to a friend

(1,731 total reviews)
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George F. Colony

24% approve of CEO

22% positive business outlook

Forrester has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,731 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Forrester employee rating is 20% below average for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
2.0
Apr 7, 2015

Good name, but going downhill fast

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Forrester is a really good name to have on your resume. As many other reviews have noted, it can be a good stepping stone to get to a better job - put in one to two years here, and then go somewhere that really respects you. The office itself is very pretty, with a modern design inside and a nice layout. Some of the employees are very nice as well; young employees band together through a sense of camaraderie. There is a gym on-site, and a lot of after-work activities designed to get people involved and make them feel welcome. And you can work from home once a week, which is nice. The work/life balance can sometimes be very nice, unless you get very particular analysts that believe you are accessible 24 hours a day.

Cons

The office is very nice on the inside, but it's in the middle of a field. In the middle of nowhere. Convenient for the higher ups that can afford to live anywhere near there, but definitely something to consider before working there. There is a parking garage on-site if you drive, although it will cost you a percentage of your already small paycheck. The biggest downside (as many people have noted) is the pay, which is beyond insulting. They say that they benchmark salaries against market value, but going in, know that you can make much more elsewhere. Much more. When you're first hired, they will play up that they'll make up for your salary in bonuses, which used to be quarterly. That has all changed, however. They say it's not to cut costs, but let's get real. We all know better. Bonuses are now annually, which is fine for the older execs who don't rely on them to live. Or pay their rent. Or buy groceries. And now, if you leave before the end of the year (as most do), you get nothing. Just the way they want it. The other half of your bonus is tied to the company performance, and, as you probably guessed, something you will never see the full percentage of. Layoffs come every January (right around they announce you won't get all of your bonus, before they send selfies from their private jet to the Bahamas with the sales teams. I wish I was making this up), in their attempt to "streamline" the company. If you do go work here, just know what you're getting into. You can do better. And you will. You'll just have to grin and bear it first.

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Forrester Response
11y
I am sad that you are not having a positive experience at Forrester. A former client myself, I chose to come to Forrester 2 years ago because the company I relied upon 20 years ago to tell me the unvarnished truth had managed to retain the culture and the courage I so admired. I want to understand your perspective and learn more about the experience you are having. I hope you will agree to take our conversation offline and help me to define actions I can lead or influence to make Forrester an even better place to work and to build a career. Lucia Luce Quinn, Chief People Officer, Forrester Research lquinn@forrester.com
2.0
Feb 12, 2025

Not Great

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people are caring, smart, and very collaborative. Good benefits. The medical insurance cost for employees has not increased in a few years.

Cons

The only reason I made it through the last 3 years was because my colleagues and I were trauma bonded from the constant change of direction, lack of communication, and RIFs that we could anticipate coming. Promotions and merit have been paused for a few years now. Anyone who wants to progress in their careers (or even make $1,000 more) has no choice but to leave. There are no career opportunities. Even before the company performance declined, promotions were nearly impossible to get. If you were lucky, you got promoted every 3-4 years. It's likely that your salary was already below the market, so you're set up to be below market value for your entire time at Forrester. Forrester publishes research about employee experience and our EX is a joke. They spent an entire year talking about how DEI was a top company initiative, hired a director, hosted events that were attended and appreciated, then removed all of it out of fear of legal implications. There are smart people at this company who could have found a way to keep some of these efforts. Every announcement from senior leadership feels like a gut punch.

2.0
Jan 11, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fewer and fewer with each round of layoffs.

Cons

I feel really bad for my former colleagues who are still there. It must be so disheartening to wonder if you are next or how are you going to get your work done with probably 20% less workers than 2 years ago.

Viewing 142 - 144 of 1,731 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,797 Forrester reviews submitted anonymously by Forrester employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Forrester is right for you.