Hanover Research reviews

Again, to affirm negative reviews that have already been posted -- Hanover tends to hire eager new graduates who want to prove their worth by working hard, and managers drive them into the ground by pushing them to turn around low-quality, laughably low-value products in 2-5 days, depending on the research department. If you're looking for a first job that will substantively build your research skills, look elsewhere -- you'll mostly use Google here. If you're looking for a first job that will substantively build your client-facing skills, look elsewhere as well -- researchers almost never sit in on client calls, and God forbid they ever receive direct instruction or feedback from clients, either. I guess the silver lining there is that researchers don't have to be on the receiving end when clients realize the kind of drivel (literally tarted-up Google search results) they've been sold at a premium. Hanover is, in many ways, a study in top-down failed management. You'll see in other reviews that Hanover employs a grading scale on each report, where you are evaluated on a number of criterion on a scale from 1-4. These scores are awarded in a shockingly arbitrary fashion, and receiving them on each project feels like being babysat by the world's least enthusiastic babysitter (in my department, researchers often wouldn't receive any feedback on daily project updates until right before the product was due, defeating the whole purpose). A message to those working at Hanover and looking to get out: You should, and you can. I know that working at this company is both boring and intellectually discouraging, but you got this job because you're a good writer with a strong work ethic, and those are skills that every employer needs. Don't continue sharing your talents with a company whose model and product is a highkey abomination, and who undervalues its employees so dramatically and consistently. A message to those considering a position at Hanover: sure, do as the CHRO has suggested on this page and talk with managers to weigh your options. But ask them hard-hitting questions, and be warned that the nature of the work described throughout the interview process bears very little resemblance to what you do on a day to day basis. And quite frankly, take the reviews on this page to heart. Folks wouldn't be taking the time to write many-paragraph long criticisms for a company that isn't deeply flawed. I guarantee you, you can do better than this place.

For the TLDR version and all you Tinder users: I advise you to swipe left on Hanover. First off, I anticipate a CHRO response to this review. Don’t believe it. Words are words and actual changes to back these comments are about as rare as finding Santa and Rudolph on Christmas Eve. People Most Hanoverians are fresh from school and riding the post college bro-ski high (sales/development/whatever you call them). I can't tell you how many times I heard unprofessional discussions on the floor or heard stories from other people. HR is "trying" to bring in people with outside experience for managerial roles, but it proves challenging to retain them because they aren't brought in at the proper level. You start at the bottom and they give you the spiel of short review cycles to allow you to move up the ladder quickly. Enter: the age and experience complex. Years at Hanover are more important than years before Hanover. Read that again. You’ll have to suffer working with people in higher positions that lack outside experience and are younger than you. Let me clarify, I’m all for smart, qualified people advancing, but these individuals are not Steve Jobs caliber. It’s hard to want to emulate or take direction from someone that only has 2 years of Hanover under his/her belt (for some context a 1 year work anniversary is akin to celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary – it’s rare these days because "society is so disposable" paraphrased per an HR email). As a result, if you need a mentor you’re not going to find it here. Additionally, they’ll gloat about personal managers, but that’s a joke. Instead, they should just be called “managers” because it’s all in the luck of the draw who you get and unfortunately, most managers are poor. Interpersonal skills are prime managerial traits that most Hanover employees lack, or better yet some believe they have which makes them delusional. This sentiment is expressed in other reviews. It’s still true. Exhibit #1092209: Mine took no interest in me and was not concerned for my career development at all. And don't get me started on the whole "managing up" shindig. Any relationship (professional, personal, etc.) is a two way street. When the other party fails to deliver, you can manage up all you want, but it's not going to move the needle. At the end of the day, if you want to feel valued this isn’t the place for you. Maybe it’s my years of experience, but I’ve worked at other places where it’s not so blatantly obvious that we are just a gateway to more dollars. No matter how much you like work, if the people are awful it will impact your work satisfaction levels. As that dude says in the Men’s Wearhouse commercials: “I guarantee it.” Pay If you’re not in sales or account management, pay is static without real performance based bonus potential. In Content, you may receive an increase at review time, but they are also known to just promote you to a new title without a pay bump (I've heard this on multiple accounts). While this looks great on your resume, your bank account will be like the Sahara desert – barren. My advice is to go elsewhere if you have high rent and student loans to pay. I had several years of experience including a graduate degree and my starting salary was difficult to make ends meet even with a roommate. I have a spreadsheet in excel tracking all expenses. If you think that’s a fun exercise every Saturday morning, then this is the place for you! Talking with your manager about a raise is most likely fruitless. If you don’t reward people for good performance reviews, the incentive to do a good job flies out the window. Work If you’re in Content, expect to stare at a computer all day with minimal collaboration. Yeah, you have Content Directors, but they are busy trying to retain clients and you’re pretty much on your own to get the job done. I’m not sure what they tell you in HR (it’s been a while for me), but ask to meet with individuals who have the role you are applying for. I did not do this and regret it.