Pros
Working at ESMT comes with a real sense of pride at being associated with a well-regarded and prestigious school in the heart of Berlin. The main campus is the former State Council building of the GDR; it's incredible to work in such a historically significant place (however, be aware that unless you're Faculty, you won't actually do your job in the impressive building, you'll be working in the dilapidated 60s office block behind it!). As a top German business school with excellent alumni and unparalleled connections to the the leaders of multinational companies, and even national governments, you can rub shoulders with some very interesting people. Most colleagues are genuinely friendly, very supportive, and proactively interested in helping you succeed. Consequently it's possible to create strong friendships.
Cons
There is an unfortunate culture of opaque, and extremely hierarchical decision-making. If the senior management has any long term plan or strategy for the school, it isn't communicated transparently or underpinned by SMART objectives. The small group of people with any real decision-making power severely lacks diversity (see the composition of the management committee and the school's various governing boards). The school's leadership rarely looks favourably on alternative perspectives or constructive criticism, especially from those not considered to have sufficient professional seniority or social status. Although many issues like these, and their causes, are well-known, there seems to be a fundamental inability among senior leadership to consider that THEY and THEIR approach, might be problematic.
