The *Honest* Truth - Anonymous employee Winston & Strawn Employee Review

Don't let Winston's official responses about employee engagement fool you. There are some key points they're leaving out when they promote these "high marks" they say they received. The most glaring and disheartening one being that while employees were specifically told that surveys were anonymous, they weren't. I completed my survey and the report that was sent back to them included a URL that included my initials. I confirmed with a handful of close friends that theirs did as well. Word spread quickly (as word tends to do in an office) and, coupled with the already existing impression that firmwide leadership retaliates against anyone who criticizes or questions, people were afraid to leave honest feedback and simply return surveys that are minimally completed with generic responses. Winston has made no secret within the office about its desire to improve it's Glassdoor rating (as opposed to actually improving substantive morale, and engaging and retaining talented employees). They solicit positive reviews by contacting employees directly after providing bonuses, gifts, or social functions and individually asking them to complete Glassdoor reviews. This puts a lot of pressure on people to both submit a review and say positive things to avoid retribution from firmwide leadership. There is no enthusiasm or engagement left at Winston. Within the past year or two, almost the entirety of local management has left, with the firm not replacing the roles, but rather putting the responsibility on other firmwide management who don't work in the same city. Firmwide management wants "yes men" below them who follow blindly and do not question anything, because their top priority seems to be their own job security and they appear to be very strategic in maintaining that, even if it is at the expense of the firm and its employees. Hiring any new/competent people for local leadership positions who would have the local office's employees' interests at heart would threaten their job security. On top of that, the newer "leadership" isn't located in the same city, or even virtually responsive. It takes weeks to get a response from them on basic questions. Many employees have complained about this, but as with most everything at Winston, nothing changes. If you want to work at a firm without a unique/positive culture, where yes men and blind following is expected and anything else results in retribution, and where they are stuck in the 90's and constantly chasing industry norms years after peer firms, Winston is a good fit- look no further!