Hanover Research reviews

3.6

66% would recommend to a friend

(320 total reviews)
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Wes Givens

54% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Hanover Research has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 320 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Hanover Research employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

320 reviews
4.0
Aug 1, 2020

Mystified by negative reviews

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

From a researcher's perspective: * Hanover has more opportunities for advancement (promotion/raises) than any place I've ever worked at or even heard of * You're encouraged to think of new processes and improvements, and you're then given support to implement them * Interesting, varied work once you get past the entry-level position * Many opportunities to provide feedback on CDs/MCDs, regular check-ins where I can mention any issues as they arise * The ability to join client calls as a more experienced researcher, which adds another layer to the work * I literally get 36 days of PTO per year (12 paid holidays, 4 'team' holidays when we make goals, and 20 days of regular PTO), which is . . . crazy

Cons

Again, researcher's perspective: * Certain project types can get somewhat repetitive . . . but then I've never had a job that had zero repetitiveness. * Timelines can be tight in certain cases . . . but I'm almost always given extra time if I need it. * Salary beyond entry-level is competitive, but I wish there was a higher 401k match and slightly better health benefits. Also I feel the need to address the negative reviews from the past couple years: * I'm currently in my eighth year of working for Hanover (in research) and have been following Glassdoor reviews for a while . . . it's not a perfect company but it's way way better than the negative reviews suggest. (Also I can only speak to the research side of things, as I haven't spent time in sales.) * The vast majority of Hanover employees that I've interacted with over the past few years have been happy with the company (beyond the usual mild grumbling that you'll have in any workplace). The only people who seemed miserable were inevitably entry-level researchers in their first year who just didn't like the work or couldn't handle the work, and they usually quit after a few months (and then, apparently, all go straight to this website to complain) -- in short, I'm guessing that, in most cases, the negative reviews are from 22-year-olds who hadn't experienced a real workplace before (Hanover is my third multi-year consulting/research job, and easily my favorite), realized that an actual job is harder than coasting through college, and couldn't handle the (easy) workload. * Projects are relatively simple and repetitive when you first start at Hanover because management are trying to ease you into project work; if you're having to work 12-hour days to complete simple secondary research then you're the problem, rather than Hanover. Once you get past the introductory entry-level position, projects are varied, in-depth, and interesting (for the most part); Hanover reports are not "Googling keywords." * Entry-level salaries are a bit lower than usual, for sure, but all of the complaining reviewers clearly never managed to get promoted (or to get a merit raise), as promotions and raises are very generous; I'm currently making close to 2x my starting salary. * C-suite / MCDs / CDs are open and transparent and are constantly sending surveys, having 'coffee hours' where anyone can send questions or ask questions, etc. I've never worked at a company with more openness in that sense, so I'm just mystified by the complaints here.

3.0
Mar 16, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-As an analyst, the people I worked with were the biggest pro at Hanover. Smart, kind, generous people. It is so easy to be siloed with the type of work Hanover does, but every analyst I worked with was open to helping, teaching, and supporting others. I have made lifelong friends here. -Hanover is a good place to start your career. You are given a lot of responsibility in terms of the deliverables you produce for clients, but you also have a lot of structures, procedures, and support systems in place to help you get your footing. -Onboarding for analysts is excellent. Everyone starts with a week (or two) of trainings and low-stakes mini or practice projects to help them get accustomed to the methods/tools they will use at Hanover. -For the first year or so, you’ll learn a lot. New tools, new methods, new industries, you’ll learn something new every day. That’s what makes it such a great place to start your career. -Hanover is small enough where you get to wear a lot of hats. You can take more responsibility if you work hard and take initiative. -After your first successful performance review, you can work from home one day per week. -Health plan is pretty good. -Free snacks. Free coffee.

Cons

-Culture can be toxic. Unfortunately, Hanover grew at a rate that was not sustainable for the structure they had. There’s lots of restructuring happening all the time to address these issues, and, to Hanover’s credit, I truly believe they are moving into the right direction. However, at present, there are a lot of blind spots for those in upper management roles such that a few bad apples in middle management can ruin people’s entire view of the company. I actually really, really loved what I did at Hanover, but thinking about my time there, my fond memories of my job are soured by a few people that should have never, under any circumstances, been allowed to manage people. While I don’t think it’s entirely the case, Hanover’s lack of action about known bad apples made it feel like the type of company that does not care about its analysts’ well-being. Countless people could raise complaints about one bad apple, but nothing would ever change. It propagated a culture in which analysts felt that their words, experiences, and opinions had no value. I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it that this was not a feeling isolated to me and my experiences, but I had quite a few co-workers that shared the sentiment. -Middle management (CDs/CEDs) are not incentivized at all to manage projects in the best interests of the analysts working under them. They are incentivized to please the client. This often means overpromising what can feasibly be delivered in the time we have, changing project scopes at the last minute, and a ridiculous amount of overtime for analysts. Analysts that do not work overtime in order to meet these demands are often reviewed poorly. Meanwhile, as I said before, upward feedback from analysts feels ignored. Not all managers are like this. There are several good, caring managers. -If you want additional responsibilities/a promotion, be prepared to do all of the work of the next level for several months without being paid for the additional work/responsibilities you have. I know that this is the case in a lot of companies in the U.S.; however, just because it’s common does not make it right. You’re already underpaid compared to other market research analysts in a high cost of living area, so taking on all of the risk and none of the reward of a role is adding insult to injury. -Salary is low. Yes, HR is upfront about this in the interview process, but you should also understand that if you do not get promoted during the performance review cycle, you rarely get a raise, even to adjust for inflation. If you are not from the area, please do research on the cost of living.

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Hanover Research Response
7y
Thank you for your feedback. I am very glad to hear you loved the work you did here, and am sorry that experience was soured by a few bad interactions. As you know, we take performance management really seriously at Hanover. When it appears that someone is struggling in a managerial role, for example, we make every effort to provide that individual with mentoring and remediation support. There are a handful of instances where it still doesn't work out, and it appears that is what you experienced. Our recently introduced teaming structures should also foster the kind of teamwork and communication you correctly identify as critical. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
3.0
Nov 29, 2018

Awful

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Option for remote work 1 day per week or to go remote full time if you move. Some nice people you can make friends with.

Cons

Sometimes, other employees don't treat you very well. They are overly judgemental and negative about other people in a way that inhibits teamwork and collaboration. If they practiced judging others with humility and empathy, they would have a better work environment.

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Hanover Research Response
7y
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your time at Hanover Research. I'm sorry to read that you don't feel like you are treated well. This is unusual feedback as most employees, including the Content team members, highlight their coworkers as one of the best parts of working at Hanover. Managers tend to be attentive and supportive but we do not shy away from providing feedback to our staff. As most researchers work on a large number of projects each year and receive feedback on each project from up to three people, it can feel judgmental or hypercritical a times. Our intention is always to strive for excellence and even our most experienced researchers receive feedback on how to improve their projects. If you are finding the feedback difficult to hear, I encourage you to work with your manager to find a mode of communication and type of language that will allow her/him to share feedback with you in a way that still makes you feel supported.
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Glassdoor has 332 Hanover Research reviews submitted anonymously by Hanover Research employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Hanover Research is right for you.