Ziba Design Employee Review

Current Employee – been working at Ziba Design

Pros – You will work with 100 smart, dedicated, talented people who will keep you coming back to the office every day. You will work for Fortune 100 clients and start-ups alike, providing innovation solutions and design that will stand the test of time. You get to work in one of the most gorgeous buildings in Portland's Pearl District (and you get do live in Portland, which is pretty cool). The work-life balance at Ziba is great; you can pretty much create the schedule that works best for you and your family. And the firm itself is very family-oriented; it may be a bit dysfunctional, but what firm (or family for that matter) isn't? You can try new things and move to different groups depending on interest and experience. It's a very intense place to work, which doesn't work for everyone, but its a great place to learn. And if you can get past some of the drama, it's a great place to work.

Cons – Much of the management structure is outdated and inefficient. There are a few employees playing out of position, which can make life at Ziba unnecessarily hard. Travel for studio members can be grueling and some projects are much more demanding than others, but that's just life at a consultancy. There are opportunities for some employees to grow, but not all. Some Ziba leaders have a hard time communicating in a constructive way at times, which needs to stop.

Advice to Senior Management – Hire a CEO/COO who has proved ability to run a successful consultancy. Strengthen your senior leadership team with people who have the proven ability to implement ideas (and not just generate them) and help your directors hone their personnel management and communications skills. Be more transparent with your employees; have empathy for them and they may have empathy for you! A world-class design and innovation firm deserves world-class leadership. The opportunities are many.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend