Pros
Edelman is a creative powerhouse. Whenever I need some unique options to present a client, I round up a selection of colleagues from various parts of the company to brainstorm ideas - our collective creativity never fails to impress me! Edelman's medical benefits are superior to other companies' (though not all employees appreciate this.) Also, new hires automatically get two weeks vacation, PLUS what amounts to other week in optional/balance days. And that is on top of 10 standard holidays, including MLK and Presidents' Day. Another great advantage of working at Edelman: we're an independent company so we're able to invest in our future, our services and our people the way many Wall Street-beholden firms can't. Finally, you can't overlook the fact that Edelman was named PR Week's Agency of the Year in 2009.
Kontras
We're working hard to get better at this, but teams in different practice areas and geographies do not share information effectively. This is partially driven by Edelman's entrepreneurial culture (everyone wants to own their own little piece of the company) and by the way our P&L is structured. Speaking of structure, Edelman has few processes in place compared to other companies. In some ways, this helps us make decisions more quickly and with greater flexibility; however, we often end up duplicating efforts or wasting time tracking down information that should be readily available. Our financial processes (or lack thereof) are a great example; however, we are rolling out a new global financial system this year that I am hoping will make billing MUCH easier for us and for clients.