Pros
- M is very well respected in the industry - the company, the employees, and the producers/firms they represent. - M has a long track record of profitability and success, and is well positioned for future success. - Base compensation is reasonable, benefits are excellent, and the company shares the profits with the employees through a bonus system. The bonus system needs improvement, but it does have strong potential. - The environment is very professional, but also comfortable. Casual attire is often permitted, a well-stocked coffee bar is provided, and the company has numerous activities and events such as holiday celebrations, Ted talks, wellness activities, and charitable service opportunities that help bring fun, team building, and a deeper purpose to the workplace. - There are a lot of people at M who are incredibly bright, talented, and decent. - There is a renewed focus on culture, compensation, management, transparency, innovation, disruption and growth. While it is regrettable that this renewed focus did not come sooner, it is a welcome (and I believe genuine) change from the complacency that I would say M has been guilty of in recent years. - While upward mobility is limited in a company of this size, there are many great positions and opportunities to create a great career
Cons
- M is going through some challenging times and has experienced an unusual amount of turnover and turmoil in the last 1-2 years. Outside factors, such as political, economic, technology and cultural changes have played a secondary role to internal challenges. While there are some fantastic people at all levels of the company, Sr. Management has struggled with their leadership role in recent years, and allowed some problems to fester, grow, and multiply. While many in the staff have worked through these challenges with patience, optimism, and hard work, some have been infected with complacency, attitudes of entitlement, or a bad attitude. M has been working to address these challenges with new policies, changes in management and organizational structure, development and communication of a new strategic plan, and more changes to come. Change at M can be slow though, despite the best of intentions. - The company's bonus program is driven too much by company performance and not enough by individual performance. Underachievers and high achievers are not proportionally rewarded. Thankfully, M is reviewing both compensation and performance management, and appears to be making good progress in addressing these concerns in order to make sure we can better recruit and retain the best of the best. - Slow to adapt to remote work opportunities, flexible scheduling, and similar employee-friendly practices that are becoming commonplace elsewhere in our industry and in other industries.
