Job Title: Vice President
Location: Fort Washington/Horsham, PA
Submitted on: 28-Mar-03
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Diversity: With 40,000 employees, there was a wide cross culture of
ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. In fact, as I remember it, there was
also a mandatory diversiy training at least annually.
Dress was Corporate-casual in most locations unless a client visit was
expected.
Hours in some locations were a 40 hour work week, but in most corporate
offices (as opposed to branches) there was a 35 or 37 hour work week.
Culture: As for specifics on 'corporate culture', from my experience,
a lot was 'us against them'. The division not only was evident between
departments that worked together, but also with different locations
within the same department. Service and Operarions couldn't get a
long. Location A and Location B couldn't get a long. But for the most
part professionalism was preached to everyone, therefore, pettiness was
not projected to the client (too much). The organization, however,
knew of this separation and, as I was leaving, they were doing things
to 'Bridge the Gap'.
One thing to know and remember with mother Merrill: The client is
King. The sales force is the ruling faction of the organization. I
have seen clients who refused to pay any fees, demand unreasonable
expectations (many of which cost the firm money), and force the
operations and service groups into battles, only to have the firm offer
rediculaous amounts of compensation for their troubles, because
revenues from assets held, and/or suplimental relationships.
Opportunities for advancement: Here is where Merrill shines. If you
have the opportunity to make it in to the Merrill world, you have a
vast array of options. Merrill hires from within. They also have an
extensive training facility and syllabus. Back in the day, they also
used to arrange for a prominent area University to conduct classes on
sight to employees for graduate degrees. The internal training courses
help the employee perfect his or her position, but Leadership programs
set the employee up for advancement. Depending on which department you
work in, there are various degrees of Leadership Development Programs
(LPDs) wher an associate slated for a Director or above role is
assigned a mentor. This mentor guides the individual through various
relationships within the company's upper management. Once completed
the employee would be eligible for advancement into Direcor or above,
and from there would be able to attend a higher level LDP. Aslo,
remember my previous statement about the sales force. Several years
ago, an individual in line for CEO left the firm because he was passed
over for the post in favor of another who came up throught the ranks as
a broker. I have seen the LPD processed by-passed by those successful
in sales.
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