ANDXP reviews

>Lack of trust from middle-management: from micromanaging each step of a project to ignoring suggested feedback from the staff who are completing the work > Inadequate communication on project expectations, deliverables, and timelines > Assignments are all ASAP with vague direction, little organization, and no realization of the time and resources necessary to deliver a high-quality project > Employees in leadership positions won’t admit fault and will often redirect blame to someone else > Management does not adequately invest in the company or its employees > Empty promises on team outings, compensation, changes to improve the creative process and project management > Requests for new additions to the team and new equipment to streamline efficiency fall on deaf ears > Creative team gets little or no recognition on the hard work they put in or the creative director takes sole credit for collaborative projects > When the fatal shooting of a Chicago Police officer occurred outside our office, an incident well covered by local media, no one from upper management checked in to see if we were safe or even inquired about our emotional or mental well-being If you want to be part of a team that values your input and work, this is not the place for you.

If you're contemplating joining AND's creative department, I strongly advise you to seek another place of employment if at all possible. Upper management will definitely make it seem as though AND is a legitimate place to work on the surface, but after a bit of time, you'll realize how mistreated people are. The absence of effective communication and organization coming from upper management is lacking tremendously to the point where you'll constantly feel as though you're your own account manager, and from my experience, I can guarantee you will not be valued or recognized for doing as much work as you will be doing. It's also important to point out that end-of-year bonuses are non-existent, and although the projects you will be completing make this company an immense amount of income, you will never see it in your paycheck no matter how hard you work. Furthermore, I often found the number of empty promises given by upper management incredibly embarrassing. For example, they may promise you plans for a company outing, team building activities, "much-needed time off", or filming funny content for the company Instagram account, however, these promises occur on a monthly basis and fall flat almost immediately. Upper management could care less about making sure you're taken care of or that you have a life outside of the workplace for that matter (yes, upper management frequently enjoys calling, texting, and emailing you after business hours). You're there to essentially pump out work and make the owners money, but again, you will never see it in your paycheck. All in all, AND is a messy, unorganized workplace filled with confusion and disarray where every project you receive will somehow be "HOT" or "URGENT" and the design process is a thing of the past when it should never be. Brainstorming as a team and getting the chance to develop successful content for a project means nothing to upper management. They love to make unrealistic promises to clients without thinking about the designers and their process first. The amount of times us designers have voiced our opinion on this is astonishing, but once more, the creative department will always be put on the back burner.