Pros
I always had confidence in our ability to deliver and quickly develop our client's trust. It's a real credit to the recruitment process, a conscious effort not to use 'key selection criteria' or put people into competency boxes. My colleagues and I never stopped learning or growing. There's a training allowance, a book allowance and plenty of opportunity to learn from others. The tech radar and other internal projects end up being educational as well. ThoughtWorks makes a concerted effort to create a sense of belonging amongst consultants, regular events, funded lunches, nice offices, training and many after-hours events provide an opportunity to get involved. Some will say cult-like but I didn't see it that way. There's a lot, but it felt optional and inclusive. An organisation that puts rubber to the road on social and economic justice issues. There are continuous stories of the positive impact that ThoughtWorkers are having in places less fortunate. Some great stories to tell from across the world. Marketing does a creative and professional job of putting it all together, the paid gigs and the social impact programs.
Cons
Having clients accuse the group of being arrogant. "ThoughtWorks asks us to be customer-centric but refuses to empathise with our own situation" was something I heard often. In fairness, they hire highly talented people, but some come with an extra dose of hubris that few appreciate. Despite an abundance of meetings to discuss and ideate the future of ThoughtWorks, the leadership group failed at articulating a common purpose or prioritised goals. The result was conflicting messages and little understanding of what was expected, let alone measures of success or the opportunity to change direction. There is very little bureaucracy which is good, but the vacuum has been filled with office politics. Take care, it wasn't always clear who was really in charge and whose interests their agenda served. Voice of the customer was completely absent. The business tolerates poor, often unprofessional, behaviour between employees and clients alike. It's not rife, but can be unpleasant to endure and disappointing to witness. After twenty years operating what seems to be the same model, I don't believe ThoughtWorks knows what it, or its customers want. Even worse, it may not care.
