Edelman Reviews in Chicago, IL Area

Pros

- reputation
 - experience with the best in the business
 - global resources and opportunities
 - work on big name accounts

Cons

- very big, can get lost as a "number"
- big divide between VP level intel and junior staff
- a lot of bureaucracy

Pros

A dynamic place to work; lots of smart and ambitions people; casual dress code; good benefits; flexibility to balance life and work; convenient office location

Cons

It can be very cliquey, certain managers play obvious favorites, etc. People make quick judgments here and if you don't fit in off the bat then it's nearly impossible to dig yourself out of that hole. The Chicago office's ability to retain diverse staff is appalling (and I define "diverse" very loosely to mean anyone with a background other than a white sorority girl or a gay man).

Advice to Senior Management

Please put some more thought into how to staff people on international assignments -- either short-term projects or even relocation. There seems to be a lot of interest, but word on the street is that it's very ad hoc and personality-driven right now.

Pros

Working at Edelman has been an unparalleled learning and work experience. Peers and senior leadership alike are knowledgeable, motivating and still all-around fun people to be around. Tasks have been meaningful, and I have found that the "work hard, play hard" idea really is in place here.

Cons

Occasionally, workloads can be daunting, but Edelman is very adamant about work-life balance.

Pros

Great people, highest quality thinking & ethical standards, supportive culture where you can grow and shape your career. If you're entrepreneurial, smart and passionate about PR, there's no reason to work at another agency. The sky's the limit here.

Cons

Geographic and practice silos can present barriers to collaboration, although that's changing.

Pros

There is an amazing collaboration of ideas with departments and practices between all the many offices worldwide. I have worked in corporate for the past four years and have seen many improvements; communication, continuing education and transparency - each person I have met throughout the years has enriched the experience and made Edelman far outshine other companies. The compensation and employee benefits and ‘perks’ are fantastic.

Cons

The hours are tough but the rewards are worth it! Concentration is easily broken with the immediate access everyone has to your office space.

Advice to Senior Management

You're doing an amazing job and in my opinion the Chicago office has never seemed more content and happy - Thank You so much!

Pros

1. Long term thinking about growth of business, not just next quarterly profit.
2. Invests in key initiatives that benefit employees, clients, and the business.
3. Quality people who love working here.

Cons

Being privately held is generally a strength, but can lead to the company being a bit political. I've seen this improve over the years.
Edelman also has a very hard-working culture. May not be the right fit for everyone.

Pros

Creative environment with fun perks and a lot of room to grow

Cons

Advancement can take longer than it should.

Pros

There a great vibe of collaboration that I find refreshing. Bringing in views from various teams/departments is a nice way to recognize other's input and to share knowledge.

Cons

The office space can be difficult to work in - while its nice to have many colleagues in one area, it can be hard to work with many phone calls and conversations going on around you. Ear plugs help, but can only do so much

Pros

Great work-life balance. Fun office environment. Great, talented people.

Cons

The compensation is not great. Employee retention is not highly valued here, and it is tough to advance in this industry (Edelman included) without hopping from agency to agency.

Pros

Edelman has an excellent reputation for the work they execute and the high caliber clients. They attract desirable accounts which provide great experience and depth for any PR professional looking to expand their background.

Cons

The biggest problem with Edelman I believe boils down to their size. They are the biggest privately owned firm in the world, which in turn can make it difficult to ensure employees are being treated fairly and given the opportunities needed to grow at all levels. I have heard other groups have great team unity and leadership, however within certain groups in the corporate practice the lack of senior management oversight leads to extreme misconduct amongst mid-level management. Verbal abuse and poor communication of expectations lead to loss of good talent. If they cannot retain the smart employees at the account level, they will continue to have problems cultivating their practice areas.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs more accountability amongst the SVP and VP level in treatment of employees. They tout themselves as team orientated, yet in my numerous years of experience within several agencies I have never seen such a lack of team spirit. Every person within my group at the account levels expressed no desire to stay with the group in the next two years. The groups high turnover rate through people leaving the company or moving practices is evidence of the lack of both professionalism and leadership.