Pros
Franklin Templeton is a well-recognized mutual fund industry name, so it helps to have it on the ol' resume. Back in the day, they actually paid you a bonus to voluntarily take and pass the Series 6 exam. They also used to have an excellent charitable giving division.
Cons
Oh my - where to begin? When Franklin acquired Templeton in the mid-1990s, you could hear the screams of pain from the east coast. The concern was that Franklin would destroy the good Templeton name. Those concerns were not unfounded. The Franklin stranglehold has turned Templeton funds into mediocre performers, and taken Templeton's shining star, Mark Mobius, from the spotlight to relative obscurity. If you happen to be a family member then you're qualified to run one of the mutual funds or even a division of the company, regardless of competence. If you're a family friend, then welcome to senior management (again, regardless of competence). If you attended the "right" school, then welcome to middle management - compentence not expected. Anyone else is relegated to the trenches to eek out an existence of indentured servitude - all while smiling and praising management. Hours are long (for those who are salaried), going "above and beyond" is expected, and genuine appreciation for a job well done does not exist. Cronyism prevails in marketing, product management and portfolio management. The HR department is a sorority not to be crossed. Salaries are well below what they should be for such a company. Benefits packages leave something to be desired. It never was a "woo hoo I work here!" kind of place, but at one time we were all proud to be there. In fact, the company truly enjoyed a sense of employee camaraderie when Franklin was voted #1 in its industry way back in the mid-1990s. That's long gone now. My boss at Franklin was a jaded old fart who made the work more interesting, but even his character idiosyncrasies couldn't overcome the nastiness that is Franklin's management team. I wasn't looking for the proverbial "gold star" or "happy face" while employed at Franklin, but it would have been nice to know that my efforts were appreciated. That's a bitter realization when at last you walk out the door and go to work for a company that appreciates the small things you do. I smile when I read the positive reviews of Franklin - those folks must be currently employed friends and family members. And it's easy to heap praise on the company when you're well compensated for grinding the underlings to death (hey, whatever it takes to help you sleep at night, right?). But for those of us who suffered way too long under the Franklin name, it's hard to step back and see the positive in this company.
