They have a ping pong table and bar, but are far from the laid back/cool agency that they try to seem. This is a complete churn and burn agency to its core. The agency calls themselves a "tribe" and are true to the term. Really hard to assimilate as a new person. Very cliquey, gossipy and political environment. If you don’t fit in, you’ll know immediately and will feel it. Low level of diversity. Half of the office has been imported from the UK HQ which doesn't help. I don’t recommend this agency to anyone married/have children and/or have regular outside activities. If you want any kind of work/life balance, you won’t find it here and they will even tell you that about themselves. Hear them and believe it. They expect you to completely give up having a personal life and fully dedicate yourself to the “tribe” and the bottom line, which is profit. The dedication to your professional growth is not reciprocated, unless you are one of the chosen few who are favorites of upper management. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle, but the daily long hours and balance (lack thereof) remains the same. This type of environment doesn't build loyalty, it breeds resentment, stress and burnout. You go in every day never knowing what time you are going to leave , but it's always guaranteed to be late, so never make plans. If you do need to leave early (at or before 6) for any reason, you get looks/scoffs from the "tribe" and are certainly talked about, so there’s always an anxiety there. People are also managed like children. If you’re even 5 min late (which happens from time to time in NYC with the subway), you’re expected to email the “entire” agency. Even the most senior people. This is the culture and what it means to be part of the "tribe". I saw a mass exodus of people leave this year that have only been here for a short amount time because of this culture. They saw no long term growth here because of favoritism and no respect to actually having an outside life or family. If you dare to complain about anything, it’s all talk and no action from upper management, which leaves everyone afraid to take a stand or express an individual opinion. Even the most rational complaints are seen as a weakness because it means that you don't align with the "tribe" mentality. Your complaints are then turned on you, nothing changes and you either have to accept this or leave. As a result, the HR dept is also a sham. The only positive reviews here are from the HR dept and lifers who were propositioned by the agency to write them. These people don't understand/care about what most people's experiences are working here and/or see nothing wrong with this culture because they have been there for way too long to understand that people can work hard and do great work in normal working hours (with some long nights when needed), but are entitled to a life outside of the "tribe". They don't have to sign it away in blood when joining this agency like the current expectation is. There's a reason why this agency has to keep recruiting new team members and it ISN'T because of growth.
