Pros
Root Cause's work attracts motivated, smart junior staff who care deeply about social justice and social impact. The interview process is rigorous and ensures that junior staff are thoughtful problem-solvers and team players, who are committed to helping clients achieve their goals. Junior staff are collegial and supportive with each other, often forming close relationships that endure beyond their time at Root Cause. Junior staff have a great deal of autonomy and learning a great deal in a short amount of time about project management, strategy, impact measurement, and about the nonprofit sector as a whole.
Cons
The organization has long been stagnant and is currently in significant decline. Under the leadership of the CEO, COO, and senior consultants (most of whom have been with Root Cause since its founding), the organization has shrunk significantly with many staff departures between 2015 and 2017 and has never had the discipline to fully clarify and execute on a strategic plan and mission. Leadership is not held accountable for poor decisions. Of note is a recent incident in 2016 involving the CEO's solo decision to rescind an offer to a candidate the week of her start date after she had planned her relocation for months - an incident that not only damaged the organization's reputation but also sparked a wave of resignations. Root Cause does not have the right leadership and senior consultants in place to do justice to this sector and there is no mechanism to ensure that it gets better.