Pros
- Challenging work and interesting subject matter for those interested in higher education in a fast-paced environment. A great job for an independent worker who enjoys the process of research, reading, and writing. - Flexible work from home policy - Smart co-workers with useful feedback. Most have a master's or PhD in the humanities. - Most directors are invested in the growth of researchers and will push you to be better - Professional development days to develop skills - Promotion and review process is clear cut and management makes an effort to review employees fairly - Expectations are clear - Hanover has a good reputation and trains people well; those who leave may be recruited into companies with much higher pay - HR and IT teams respond quickly and effectively - Management makes an effort to make employees feel supported and appreciated - Coworkers are friendly and happy to help or collaborate - Each project requires the editor to provide notes on feedback. Researchers know what to improve or how they did well. - Most projects are sufficiently staffed with enough support to fill in the gaps on missing skills/knowledge. You are rarely flailing and can always ask for more help. - Project managers make an effort to give employees a balance of very challenging and less demanding projects depending on individual skill and experience. - Directors double as managers so they have a great sense of how to deliver feedback and develop researchers, but also have a lot on their plate separately. - Interview process requires a writing assignment so you know you have the skills to do the job as well as an idea of what it will be like - DEI events are supported
Cons
- It's a grind and can be really demanding for a consulting/research role that is relatively low pay These are not necessarily cons but for consideration: - Interview process requires a writing assignment - Not much of an "office culture" (most are fully remote since covid) but it's great for a job that lets you have a significant amount of flexibility outside of work. That being said, a little enthusiasm goes a long way. - Getting accustomed to the workload, system, and pace may take longer hours than usual for a few months before getting into the rhythm (for many people it does). Be prepared to set boundaries on work time and become very efficient in time management. - Be prepared for at least one survey proofreading task on top of your projects each week - Relatively high turnover rate. It's a grind and doesn't gel with everyone. The people who succeed are receptive to feedback, can manage time well, and find some genuine interest in higher ed. - There's always more than enough work to keep you busy. No idle time in between or during projects like some consulting firms (this can be a pro or or a con depending on who you are). - The project timelines are condensed for efficiency. There is little margin for procrastination, especially for the first few months. This can be stressful or push you to grow. - Most people take one or two PTO days every few weeks rather than chunks of vacation. It's the type of job where most people will gravitate towards short and frequent rather than long breaks, although there hasn't been any pressure to do either. - You don't get to meet your direct manager until you start working there. This makes it hard to figure out how well you work together before you get there, but they are mostly supportive and offer monthly check-ins.
