GLG reviews

2.6

23% would recommend to a friend

(2,297 total reviews)
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Gemma Postlethwaite

21% approve of CEO

19% positive business outlook

GLG has an employee rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars, based on 2,297 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The GLG employee rating is 30% below average for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
2.0
Aug 2, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only pro I can really point out at GLG is that you are exposed to a number of markets and fields (at least outside of the financial and professional services arena) and this in turn helps pique your curiosity and hopefully find a better place to work. Additionally, though this is certainly anecdotal, I was fortunate to become close with my teammates and even after leaving I still remain in close contact.

Cons

GLG will chew you up and spit you out. Just like other entry-level corporate jobs (on par with entry associates and analysts at any marketing, consulting, or financial firm) GLG takes eager and excited college graduates, promises them amazing opportunities to work with clients, dip your toe into the world of consulting, and work in a 'fun, cool, environment' This is a sham, GLG will take advantage of you if you let them. You are nothing but an asset to use until you break. I was regularly asked to work far past the end of the workday to keep up with absurd metrics that serve only to line the pockets of middle management with hefty bonuses. You will not feel supported, GLG is cutthroat and people will do whatever it takes to move beyond their role so they at least get paid more, (speaking of, GLG's entry pay is NOT competitive to other entry-level professional firm jobs) GLG promotes individuals based solely on metrics and tenure, forget working under an effective, supporting, and compassionate manager-you will be working under a foreman that is only interest in forcing you to work harder so they can rake in high bonuses (I have had managers literally tell me to work harder so their bonus isn't affected.) In the same vein, I have had managers ask for doctors notes for half-days, ask to audit my overtime with them to find any 'forgotten breaks', and many other cases of money grubbing for a company supposedly holding over 60% of the expert networking market. During Covid, GLG's one solution has been to offer a taxed, one-time, spot bonus of $500 in order for us to set-up our home offices. It's insulting. GLG is not a safe place to work, managers and executives do not care about you, you are an asset, a tool, a machine, to be used and put away when done. Your job is 70% clicking buttons on Linkedin, 20% 'outbound-sales-esque' phone calls, and the other 10% is meetings about how poorly you are performing, no matter what the numbers show. GLG looks cool, they check all the boxes and don't worry, the office is super cool and hip-but it is not worth it, you will be taken advantage of, you will dread logging on in the mornings and you will be put-down constantly. Work anywhere else.

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GLG Response
4y
We’re sorry to hear you had such a negative experience. It’s true – we do work hard. But as many GLGers would tell you, care and compassion are also among our most fundamental values. As a company, we are continually finding new ways to enhance our culture and improve the day-to-day experience of our employees. In 2020 we launched “Simply Well,” a series of discussions with wellness experts to promote healthier habits while working from home. We also expanded our employee-run Diversity Networks, creating forums for GLGers to learn from one another in a safe environment. In addition, we upgraded our health and wellness benefits, including free counseling services available to all employees (should they need them) and mindfulness tools such as Calm to proactively support wellness. We wish you the best of luck going forward. We’re glad to hear you built strong relationships with your teammates. Hopefully you’ve been able to take some of what you learned with you.
1.0
Jul 18, 2019

A Beautiful Nightmare...

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The only good things about this job are meeting great people and living in Austin. My co-workers are now very good friends and Austin can be a fun city for some people.

Cons

Let me start off by saying— if you have any other available job offers, please consider all of them before settling for this job. HR will say that we are all disgruntled employees, but truthfully we’re just looking out for you. I’m here to share the things I wish I knew so you can make an informed decision. The way GLG markets this job is nothing like the actual day to day. As a recent grad from a top tier university, I was told this job was going to be somewhat like consulting; they said we’d be thought partners doing “research” on a variety of topics. This could not be farther from the truth. As a Junior Associate all you do is headhunting. ALL DAY you will be on LinkedIn searching for top level executives to MAYBE do a 30-60 minute phone consultation on the subject matter of the project you receive. Then after 6 months of that, you do monotonous, bare bones project management that barely scrapes the surface of any topic they say you could be learning about. You are a middle man setting up calls between the experts you recruit and our clients. Diversity is lacking there and they aren’t going out of their way to make you stay. The company seems to “bait and switch” to get you in the door but once you’re here, you’re on your own. Any issues you have will be met with hollow sympathies and a “well if you look at so and so, they are doing just fine!” and they’ll send you on your way. If you’re from an area that is pretty diverse, Austin may be a bit difficult to navigate. Metrics are the be-all and end-all at this job. Period. Higher ups will say “we try to look at an employee holistically to determine their progress” but many feel that this is false. As soon as you start to underperform, you’re in trouble. You truly feel as though you’re just a number at this company. Career progression- This is just a stop; you should not be here for more than 2 years. If you do take a job here and you actually make it to the 6 month mark, start looking for new opportunities. Work life balance- Next to the monotony of the job, this is what people complain about the most. You will work from 8:30am-6:30pm AND you have to be responsive far later than that into the night! If you like to have a life outside of work, do not work here; they make it seem normal to work every living hour of the day. People are even working through lunch- laptops are wide open as they sadly bite into their avocado toast. Managers/ Higher ups- Your experience here is heavily determined by the type of manger you have. As for upper management, I often question what their purpose is. What do they do all day? They don’t really understand our day to day tasks and only ask you about your experience just to say they’ve asked, not because they care. In the end, if you are not hard pressed for cash to start paying off your student loans or feed your family, I would advise you to stay put and wait for the next relevant opportunity to come by. Life is too short to be stuck in a dead end job-- be somewhere that makes you happy to wake up and gives you purpose.

2.0
Jan 5, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Free coffee bar Catered Lunch Great group of drive, smart people. All around your age. Downtown work location.

Cons

HORRIBLE work/life balance. Aggressive managers who care more about metrics than employee well being. Toxic culture that supports high turnover and poor mental health. Bait and switch techniques to lure in smart young workers. Non-disclosure and non-compete agreements that are far above the seniority level of most employees. GLG makes sure that if you leave, you will not be able to work in the Financial Services industry.

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