Pros
I have been at Hanover for almost four years and am quite happy. While no firm is perfect, Hanover does a lot to keep its employees happy and engaged. I'm in a sales role and am often contacted by recruiters - whom I talk to - but there are a few reasons why I prefer a sales role at Hanover to the other opportunities that have been presented to me: 1. Customers are very happy with the product. This is of course a non-negotiable for me - I wouldn't be willing to sell a service/product that I did not believe was in my prospect's best interest, but it is exciting to hear from accounts that I have closed about the value that Hanover is providing them, and that they are referring our services to other prospective customers within their network. 2. It's a highly consultative sale which keeps things interesting. With Hanover's custom research model, I can't think of a type of sale that can get any more consultative than this. I talk with prospects about their challenges and explore how research projects can identify new solutions. Every conversation is different. I think I might get bored or frustrated selling software or syndicated research - trying to fit a square peg in a round hole by reframing a prospect's challenges in attempt to match them with the proposed solution or product. 3. I can serve as a consultative thought-partner and valuable resource. Even if a prospect does not end up engaging in a contract, they find tremendous value in the discussion from the market insight I can provide (from talking with numerous peers in the market on a constant basis) and the research reports that I send as follow-up. 4. Competitive compensation. Obviously we are all working to make money, and Hanover has competitive commission plans that reward top performers. ------ There are also some other things I like about Hanover that are not specifically related to a sales role: 1. Company culture - I have met some of my closest friends at Hanover. Sometimes I think "I can't leave because I would miss my coworkers too much!" 2. Exec team is listening to employees now more than ever. We are frequently asked for feedback on changes before and after they take place. 3. Upward mobility - they are always thinking about your next step and how to help you get there. They prefer to promote from within. On a last note - Hanover was my first job I applied to out of college - and sometimes I think to myself "I'm so lucky I landed this" because of how far I have been able to go at the company with the right level of focus, hard work, and ambition.
Cons
Cubicle setting even for jobs that require employees to be on the phone all day (requires employees to reserve call rooms several times per day which can be very disruptive). Location in Ballston. 401k matching plan is pretty average (2% which takes 4 years to fully vest). I would love more frequent lunch catering :-)
