DraftFCB Reviews

Pros

Made some close friends - some very smart people worked at DraftFCB

Cons

The manager was in need of coaching because they had no management skills whatsoever. It was a free for all, and althought they attempted to stick to process, they treated employees dismally and everyone was miserable.

Advice to Senior Management

Your people are your business - client service is how an agency is profitable and differentiates themselve. Start to believe in your people.

Pros

Easy access to senior management, even if it means just standing in the back of a meeting
Open door policy, everyone's doors are literally usually kept open
Everyone is fairly open and honest, especially when complaining
Always extra food left over from meetings

Cons

Not too much diversity, mostly Caucasian
Pay not too great
Not a lot of feed back
Few company outings or networking events

Pros

Great environment, hard working people, and lots of opportunity for growth. I can't tell you how great it is to show up to work every morning with a fully stocked kitchen :)

Cons

Small office feel, everything is a bit causual, even if it's something serious, which could be taken as a good trait if that's what you're looking for.

Advice to Senior Management

HR consistently lowballs talent, so much so it's 'almost insulting. They should start a bit higher and you'll get much more talent in the agency.

Pros

Benefits are good compared to other companies
Cafeteria is nice
Strategic Planning team is strong

Cons

Poor leadership
HR doesn't care about employees
Very senior level people who don't know what they are doing/uninvolved in their businesses
Pay is not commensurate with the work achievements
If you don't do TV every day they think you are worthless
They are a :30 spot/print agency trying to survive in a digital world - they will never succeed at digital
Spend too much time worrying about who is stabbing you in the back - gets in the way of real work
Senior leaders do not focus on the quality of the work - too concerned with politics to care

Advice to Senior Management

Hire smart people
Take care of employees who bring in the business and take care of clients

Pros

Connected agency. Global reach. Some really smart people in Chicago and Germany (CRM)

Cons

Print "old school" people trying to be "digital" - and given a strong voice by old school leaders.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire smart digital people. Respect the people who put in the hours.

Pros

I thought that DraftFCB offered a great work life balance. It was comfortable to work there and the people were nice.

Cons

I felt that it was difficult to advance. I was able to, but had to work really hard to make it happen.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your people like people. The management is uneven across the groups. I don't think that some people should get it better than others.

Pros

Beautiful place, very open, modern space. Very nice people who are very supportive of each other.
Very organized, strict process and procedures for everything, which makes doing the work the actual focus.

Cons

Sometimes noise from nearby offices can be disruptive, but other than that this is a great place to work.

Advice to Senior Management

More raises that are commensurate with quality of work and dedication of staff.

Pros

Family friendly, flexible, good life to work balance. Can work on multiple clients. Great opportunity to own your work. Just step up and you will be given a chance.

Cons

They play it very safe with the creative. In the process of building long term relationships they forgot that a client relationship is like a marriage. And every once and a while you need to do something exciting (preferably more often than not). So in saying that it can be difficult to push the envelope. But they are amazing people who stretch what they can when they can, just maybe not enough.

Advice to Senior Management

Push your work. The more safe you play it the more likely the client is going to leave, which explains the massive recent loses. You have the talent, just walk to the edge with it.

Pros

people are fun and smart

Cons

very strict about raises...almost force you to leave and come back just to get fair compensation

Pros

The only reason I have stayed at Draftfcb this long is because of how great my coworkers are.

Cons

Underpaid and overworked junior employees. I have been filling the role of a sr analyst for months now but leadership won't give me a good reason for why i haven't been promoted yet except that "official reviews are this summer." There have been four off-cycle promotions this year, but only for middle managers. Stop yanking my chain... I've been at Draftfcb for 2 and 1/4 years now and I have only gotten one 3.5% raise, and I'm underpaid as it is. Relative to inflation I'm making less now than I did when I started. Company rhetoric is always a positive spin, but when I was given my measly 3.5% raise my SVP lead it off with "well, its been a rough year, but..." Get your story straight and be more transparent.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop taking advantage of your entry-level employees and recognize when they are going above and beyond.