APCO Worldwide Employee Reviews about "work life balance"
Updated Oct 24, 2019
"Flexible in holiday-taking, professional in doing business, friendly working environment" (in 19 reviews)
"The top-heavy nature of the firm made it a great place to learn from my superiors" (in 12 reviews)
"sometimes long hours and hard life-work balance" (in 16 reviews)
"Very demanding clients meant that work-life balance was a challenge" (in 13 reviews)
Reviews about "work life balance"
Return to all Reviews"Great Place to Learn"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
I worked at APCO Worldwide full-time for more than 3 years
Pros
At APCO I worked with some of the smartest people in the industry who were extremely successful in previous careers before coming to the firm. The top-heavy nature of the firm made it a great place to learn from my superiors.
Cons
The top-heavy nature also made for a lot of work at the junior levels and the work-life balance wasn't great.
Advice to Management
Continue to nurture junior talent.
APCO Worldwide2017-11-06- Helpful (1)
"A great place to work"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookNo opinion of CEOI have been working at APCO Worldwide full-time for more than 3 years
Pros
Currently the company is going through a concerted effort to improve many aspects (bias, inconsistent processes, culture). If you are an entrepreneurial person, you will thrive at APCO. There is minimal bureaucracy, so you can make your own way regardless of level. The North America design team has been transformed under new leadership so designers can work on the projects they are passionate about without... burning out.
Show MoreCons
As with any client services position, work-life balance is not engrained in the culture (although some people in leadership roles are actively trying to fix that). On certain projects and pitches, there is a NY vs DC tension between teams. It seems like the culture of each office is very difference and there are unnecessary loyalties despite working for the same company.
Advice to Management
Keep listening to all levels and incorporate their feedback. Provide incentives and grow a healthy culture to retain good talent. Continue to be transparent in all aspects (what's going on, performance reviews, new processes, discussions at the senior level, etc.)
APCO Worldwide2019-10-24 - Helpful (2)
"You can learn a lot if you're willing to fight your own battles"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
Neutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI worked at APCO Worldwide full-time for more than 5 years
Pros
APCO boasts a diverse portfolio of clients for both long- and short-term projects, which opens a lot of opportunities to learn different industries and work with a lot of people. The "entrepreneurial" culture rings true, but what that really means is that you're on your own to fight your way through office politics. Great place to cut your teeth at advocating for yourself, working under constant organizational... change, and learning to trust very few people. Once you put in a few years and earn the trust of those who matter, work/life balance is manageable due to being so independent and being able to create your own schedule. Arrive at 10am, leave at 5pm, or go on a trip and "work from home"... as long as the work is getting done, no one will ask questions. Compensation is reasonable if you're an aggressive negotiator or have a manager who does the same.
Show MoreCons
The office politics are beyond repair. Nepotism has led to a culture of cuddling up to senior leaders who pull weight politically & fending for yourself, sometimes at the expense of others. Management may claim to have your best interest in mind, but they're all just out for themselves, too. Must have a thick skin and be willing to tolerate a lot of BS to be successful. Constant organizational change and waves... of departures leave little stability and isolate true talent. The office is very cliquey, so it feels like being thrown back into high school, choosing which table to sit at in the lunchroom. Choose wrong, and you're doomed.
Show MoreAdvice to Management
Take a good, hard look at the culture you're building. Your junior staff is overworked and underpaid, your mid-level staff is fighting for resources and for the attention & praise they need to be promoted, and your senior staff is more focused on their own success than ensuring the people under them are being supported, all while protecting the individuals they favor and overlooking others who are genuinely... talented. The ability to navigate the APCO political web outweighs the skills needed to manage clients properly & produce high-quality work.
Show MoreAPCO Worldwide2019-10-06 - Helpful (4)
"Overworked & underpaid, but learned a decent amount"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at APCO Worldwide full-time for more than 3 years
Pros
The APCO office culture is very "flat" and gives its junior staff the opportunity to grow and learn with a fairly quick promotion cycle. Compared to other agencies, the junior staff has a decent amount of responsibility. The people that work here are smart and driven, and generally are nice enough. The work is also interesting - however NY is mainly corporate comms with little public affairs (despite APCOs... reputation as a PA firm). A plus us they are totally flexible on WFH and office is closed Christmas week.
Show MoreCons
APCO works its staff to the ground and expects its employees to be available 24/7. They also pay terribly given hours the staff give to their jobs. The result is little work/life balance and a lot of tears over the grueling work. They also have a major staffing issue and teams are often staffed incorrectly.
Advice to Management
Start focusing more on your employees, their happiness, the type of work they want to be on, and improve organizational and staffing structure.
APCO Worldwide2019-07-09 - Helpful (7)
"Tread carefully..."
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at APCO Worldwide full-time
Pros
- Great office - Comprehensive benefits - Top leadership is engaged and competent - Global community - Big clients, big budgets - Opportunity to travel if you're on the right teams - Flat organizational structure - Incredible group of high-profile advisors - Great in-house research and creative teams - Really smart staff - Cultural exposure
Cons
- Terrible work/life balance - Mid-level management is too stressed and overworked to care about the people they manage - Mid- and upper-level management is extremely disorganized - Employees come to the office sick all the time because the workplace culture has made them feel like they can't work from home for a day - As far as mid-level management is concerned, if you're not at your desk, you might as well not... be working at all - This company will work junior staff into the ground with little regard for their well-being - Lots of false promises from upper-level management - Low pay for junior staff - HR department is a complete mess and constantly mishandles cases - More turnover in the last few years than usual, and HR is slow to hire, which results in teams being stretched for resources and overworked
Show MoreAdvice to Management
Hire more mid-level managers. Pay attention to what's going on with your junior staff. Be realistic about the utilization/billability numbers you're asking for. Do SOMETHING about your HR department. Try to make the workplace culture healthier--throwing weekly pizza and beer parties isn't the answer.
APCO Worldwide2018-05-05 "Descent place to intern"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI have been working at APCO Worldwide
Pros
Great Coffee machine. Nice snack bar. There is work-life balance.
Cons
People are not as friendly as expected.
APCO Worldwide2016-09-06"Manager"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsNeutral OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at APCO Worldwide full-time for more than 5 years
Pros
Collaborative environment, open door policy, the ability to share your thoughts and create innovative and strategic ideas in attracting clients.
Cons
Pay could be better. The work-life balance all depends on the practice area/department you work in. Communication from Senior Level colleagues can use some improvement, particularly when it comes to the review process.
Advice to Management
Continue finding innovative ways to bridge the gap between Senior Level and Junior Level employees. Stay competitive with the market and your competitors as to what they're providing their people....it's the only way to retain employees.
APCO Worldwide2016-02-17- Helpful (3)
"Company in Transition"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookI have been working at APCO Worldwide
Pros
Smart people, great clients,work/life balance, global, strategic
Cons
Loss of talent Management in transition Lack of transparency with salary
Advice to Management
Aggressively recruit next gen leadership Incentive mid-levels to want to stay
APCO Worldwide2015-03-09 - Helpful (1)
"I would highly encourage anyone to search for opportunities at APCO"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at APCO Worldwide for less than a year
Pros
Work/life balance flexibility that promotes a nice work environment.
Cons
Very clear difference in management levels.
Advice to Management
I would consider increasing the hourly wage of interns. It is below the market rate for competitive programs.
APCO Worldwide2014-06-19 "A great place to start your career"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Compensation and Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at APCO Worldwide for less than a year
Pros
-The work is varied and intellectually stimulating; the opportunities to learn are definitely there -Great environment for young professionals (possibility to attend events and build your network etc.) -Good culture and friendly colleagues -Good HR presence: professional and helpful
Cons
-Work/life balance is sometimes hard to manage, especially at junior levels
APCO Worldwide2019-08-07