Weber Shandwick Reviews

Pros

Big name clients, global footprint, deep consumer experience, good leadership in New York and Chicago, good approach to traditional PR and trying to move into digital space.

Cons

Structure is top-heavy with a lot of SVPs, EVPs, MDs, Presidents, Global Leads, etc. Salary and benefits well below those of other agencies of similar size and scope. Each office is run like its own independent agency/fiefdom.

Pros

Weber Shandwick has an excellent client roster, positive company culture and competitive benefits. The people who work at Weber Shandwick are creative, hard-working and committed.

Cons

Weber Shandwick is a demanding place to work, with extremely long hours and very low pay. It can be hierarchal and bureaucratic.

Advice to Senior Management

To the leaders of Weber Shandwick, remember to foster an environment that encourages a positive work-life balance, professional growth and empowerment.

Pros

Good client roster, good benefits, solid career path for junior level staff, opportunity to work with other offices both in the U.S. and international.

Cons

Changing media landscape has affected traditional public relations, thus the agency has faced a lot of challenges with both clients and employees in the past few years.

Advice to Senior Management

Good firm for entry-level candidates who want a career in PR, but need to do a better job at keeping more senior-level employees motivated

Pros

- Senior leadership is exceptional. They are the smartest group of PR professionals in the community and very generous with sharing their expertise.
- Great work/life balance, although feeling understaffed now.
- Many opportunities to get to know others in the office through regular training sessions (Insights) and fun activities (Shanmazing Race)

Cons

- Compensation is below market, especially at the starting positions

Advice to Senior Management

- Pay attention to compensation. Are we paying market rate?
- Continue communicating with us. You've done a great job of keeping employees involved - keep it up!

Pros

- Stellar leadership team
- Top-notch clients
- Vast network with significant resources
- Great people
- Excellent growth opportunities
- 1:1 career growth management
- Very solid internship program

Cons

A work/life balance is highly encouraged, but like any other agency, things can get a little hectic at times. Opportunities are definitely worthwhile if you're looking to excel in your career as a PR professional.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue your focus on retaining top talent, growing people and providing great opportunities.

Pros

Breadth and diversity of opportunities.
Scale of the business creates unique stretch assignments.
Commitment to professional development.
Savvy leadership that understands talent is the differentiator.

Cons

Demanding and fast paced.
Not going to be a good fit for those who wait to be told what to do.

Pros

A chance to work on a lot of national, big-budget brands, which looks good on your resume. They put a lot of stock into PR for their own agency, trying to make others think it's "the" place to work. It's not.

Cons

9.5 out of 10 people there hate their job. Pay is really poor. You feel more like a number than a valued employee.

Pros

Awesome group of people to work with everyday
Strong tech, consumer, corporate and healthcare practices
Great client service practices
Strategic and supportive management team
Global resources
Great brand with a great reputation

Cons

Growing quickly which means lots of open roles to fill

Advice to Senior Management

Continue hiring great talent, keeping clients happy and winning new business

Pros

Chicago President is fair and reasonable, really nice; okay for a Chicago PR agency, especially consumer accounts

Cons

Really poor corporate and healthcare groups; working with other offices is difficult

Advice to Senior Management

More work/life balance would improve environment

Pros

Good clients, good pay and benefits; the culture club makes things more fun during the day at work by providing fun perks. Chance to work on a variety of clients is great for gaining experience.

Cons

No comp time given for working the many weekends that are required on behalf of certain clients. The staffing model is such that some people are staffed on numerous accounts while others are under staffed. If all accounts are busy at once, then you are expected to figure out a way to handle all requests.

Advice to Senior Management

You need to recognize when people are burning out in the positions, especially due to excessive amounts of travel. The fact that comp days are not offered or even discussed could be a contributing factor as to why so many people are leaving this agency. It doesn't seem that management isn't doing anything to combat any of the issues.