Pros
It is such a blessing to work with the CLS staff. Most employees have escaped the traditional brokerage firm and are highly motivated to bring a better way to clients. Sheer collective knowledge and intelligence aside, what makes CLS special is the internal drive of the employees who set very high expectations for themselves and the brand. The energy and attitude are absolutely infectious. It is not an exaggeration to say that most employees love coming to work. I don't think I've seen a company with less top-down micromanagement. Employees are empowered at every level of the organization. It is clear that the intent is to hire people who can hold themselves accountable for the brand. "Fail forward" is a stated goal. We have some industry heavy hitters in the executive team. Clint (the CEO) is a born motivator, is very accessible and keeps the organization focused and driven. More objective pros are good salaries, an excellent benefits package, unlimited PTO, flex time, coffee, healthy snacks, beautiful office views.
Kontras
CLS just had its first shake-up in its 8 year history. Management consolidated a couple of divisions and realigned resources that resulted in lost positions. This hurts at any company, but it was devastating at CLS. Employees are very close. Employees are motivated at CLS. They don't hold to a hard line 9-5. Generally, the hours are reasonable, but if there's a big project or a lot going on (4th quarter), employees put in a lot of time. The executive team is well aware that there is a transparency problem between the executive team and the employees. This was probably necessary to an extent for the past few months and they are making clear strides to change this moving forward.