Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Reviews

Pros

Great accounts from creative shop to media and PR divisions. Salary is slightly above average in comparison to similar agencies. Opportunities to learn a lot about other job functions at the agency as a whole.

Cons

Promotions based on need at the time and may not reflect good judgment. Sometimes your team may be difficult to work with. A lot of procedural guidelines are missing or thought of on the spot. Raises may depend on the account you are placed and based on budgets.

Advice to Senior Management

Transparency.

Pros

Worklife balance, NA CEO a really nice person, good place to start career or transition into advertising and learn how to do it right...

Cons

Senior leadership can be very political and change resistant and plays favorites especially at C-Suite, which is not a good thing especially since Advertising needs to compete with the digital, media businesses...your product is your people and what they can sell/work with the client...continue to invest in the new, become a think-tank for innovation in all areas...

Advice to Senior Management

Overall a good, solid place to work...review senior leadership (C-Suite) and pull talent from different industries...to learn about best practices/new things....Overall, though, Ogilvy leads the industry in class....proud to say I worked there....keep up the good work...the change has been positiive, others should take a lesson.

Pros

Young, growing, energetic, talented. Stable clients. Good relationships. The agency has been growing very fast during challenging economic times. The talent pool continues to grow. A renewed commitment to training makes Ogilvy Atlanta the 'teaching hospital of advertising' once again.

Cons

Long hours, big agency politics at times. Big growth has created the need to improve processes to accommodate the larger headcount and volume of work. Need more project managers.

Advice to Senior Management

We could use less senior leaders and more workers to get the work done.

Pros

O&M management really seem to care for the employees, nurturing staff and encouraging "stars" to fulfill their potential. O&M offers many seminars to help employees enrich their lives beyond the workplace. There is a diverse staff at O&M, a true NY melting pot of ideas and varied backgrounds.

Cons

Current office location is somewhat "out of the way," with the closest subways about three avenue blocks away.

Pros

Young, intelligent, hardworking, steadfast, and diligent people to work with. The new location is ideal for most with a great view.

Cons

Promotion is not based on merit or qualifications. Political agendas in the office are out of control and destroying the culture and atmosphere within the office. The morale within the company is at an all time low. The new location has no changed that unfortunately. Constant layoffs with no communication leave the office disappointing at best. Overworked, understaffed, underpaid, and a dysfunctional work life balance leave little to be desired. I recently turned 2 friends away from applying for jobs which speaks volumes.

Advice to Senior Management

Look closely at the leadership teams. There is a serious disconnect in the office and the morale is a result of feeling left out. No communication = troubled and fearful employees who cannot maximize their potential. Leaving people in a position of power who are abusing it will only hurt the company. It starts with leadership and trickles down the pipe.

Pros

They treated interns like employees and therefore had meaningful personal and professional growth. The compensation was generous. Best of all, the people were amazing and had me looking forward to going to work each morning.

Cons

It seemed that the "class of associates" had an advantage as far as attention from senior management, compared to those of similar age, experience, and talent who were not part of this separate "class."

Advice to Senior Management

the associate program seems great, but you may be overlooking others just as worthy for promotions.

Pros

Great people to work with, competitive salaries and good clients to have on resume. Laid back workplace. Company has prestigious history. Everyone is respectful at managerial level and below. Very supportive colleagues and managers. good technical infrastructure. In my opinion the quality of work that the company produces is (in most cases) good and sometimes (but very very rarely) great. Employees are usually given up to date hardware to work on. benefits are good. workplace has on site nurses office which offers flu vaccinations every year, also has adequate gym and cafeteria (see cons for more info on cafeteria.) Also has fleet of cruiser bikes loaned out to employees at lunchtime in the spring/summer.

Cons

Some creative teams have almost no concept as to how to design for the internet, most only have half an idea. Some Creatives still design websites as though they are online brochures with no real interactive ingenuity or payoff. Not where you want to work if you are trying to be cutting edge or push the envelope, in my opinion some departments simply still lack the communication, organization and discipline to do really amazing work. Very conservative feel to most of the work. Some ego's must be dealt with here and there. No real promotion/raise structure. No bonuses so very little incentive for some to go the extra mile (unless you consider keeping your job an incentive in which case is fairly easy for a fairly hardworking person.) Pockets of inexperienced people sometimes throw a monkey wrench in the workflow. In recent years it seems that more "yes" men and women have come onboard without any real idea of how to do their jobs effectively. Sometimes workplace is to laid back. new building is in a real annoying location. cafeteria will overcharge you on a daily basis if you're not watching.

Advice to Senior Management

Do something about the promotion/raise structure. Start holding people accountable for their actions/performance.

Pros

great clients in China, fun colleagues, nice offices

Cons

low salary compared to others in industry, long hours

Pros

Great reputation, good people, generally good work

Cons

Terrible pay raise structure, no structure to review system, too many people in upper management

Advice to Senior Management

stop only looking to the "golden children" of the agency - there are hundreds of other employees in the company who work just as hard but don't push their way to be in your face

Pros

Chance to interact with senior management

Cons

having a very long working hours

Advice to Senior Management

reduce stress