Catalysis reviews

3.0

46% would recommend to a friend

(20 total reviews)

Doug Hunt

41% approve of CEO

26% positive business outlook

Catalysis has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 20 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Catalysis employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

20 reviews
3.0
Jul 7, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lovely people outside of the work environment Lovely office Good benefits and fair pay Culture of intelligence and diligence

Cons

I worked at Catalysis for a short period of time, around a year. I was made to feel, in that year, very bad about myself. I was excluded from meetings, and then made to feel like I wasn't contributing. I was told I "wasn't good at x, y, z", when I've had opposite and very positive feedback from subsequent clients and bosses. I was told my work wasn't up to standard, despite some of it used for the company's highlights reel after I left. In retrospect, the Senior team may have been insecure themselves. Certainly an insecure culture rippled through the company. But the result was criticism, neuroticism, and a level of nastiness that wasn't great. I have awarded three stars because I think Covid-19 had a disastrous affect on many employees' mental health, and that people were not "themselves". And I liked the team of directors. But there was something very toxic going on with the Senior Team during my time here.

5.0
Jul 1, 2024

Great place to work

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Has loads of benefits and flexibility

Cons

Peak seasons have extra time which can be time consuming

1.0
May 7, 2024

This place was miserable. Ask any ex-employee.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I worked alongside some of the best and most talented people in the industry (not that any of them got the recognition they deserved). The space was cool, so I guess it has that going for it. Pay wasn't totally insulting. And free drinks.

Cons

I have never disliked an employer more. The three owners really represent three sides of a very dark and ugly way to run a business: disdain for the line workers, blatant sexism, and a reflex to kowtow to the whims of any client, just to stay billable. A verbatim quote: "It doesn't matter if the work is good or helps the client. We're here to invoice for our hours." Agency life is hard, there's no denying it. But I watched talent get crushed - not by clients, but by the egos and hubris of the people running the place. And those who spoke up in an effort to make Catalysis tolerable were scoffed at. "Go work at Amazon, see how you like it," was the common response. And those who did leave? During my time there, everyone who chose to leave was a personal affront to management. Every. Single. One. They were "useless", we were "better off without them", they "never did anything of value anyhow". You learn a lot more from what an employer says about those who have come and gone than any "OUR VALUES" tab on their own website. It's telling that many ex-employees are still in touch regularly. Catalysis certainly used to know how to find good people, and those people are still in contact. But we're all damaged by our time there. We're all trying to recover. In summary: I regret the years I gave to that place and those people. It did nothing good for me, for my career, for my sense of contribution. And I'm not alone in this. I wouldn't wish Catalysis on an enemy.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 20 Reviews

Glassdoor has 22 Catalysis reviews submitted anonymously by Catalysis employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Catalysis is right for you.