Directive reviews

2.7

31% would recommend to a friend

(150 total reviews)
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Garrett Mehrguth

34% approve of CEO

31% positive business outlook

Directive has an employee rating of 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 150 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Directive employee rating is 27% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

150 reviews
1.0
Jan 7, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Remote, high paying for new hires with few years of experience.

Cons

An agency that is hiring aggressively but hasn't grown in years is one to stay away from- it means they interview poorly, care nothing for their employees, and fire people at the drop of a hat. Opinions and innovations are not welcome here- you will be fired for speaking your mind and trying to improve things. The CEO micromanages everything, has zero empathy, and controls employees with fear. He's only interested in fulfilling his own ego, and has no idea how to run an agency. There are good people here, but none of them will last. Good digital marketers are in demand. Don't compromise yourself and your career by taking a job with Directive.

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Directive Response
5y
It's not easy to read this review, but thank you for your feedback and I'd like to add some context: 1. We try to pay very well and have a great team of amazing people who love to work here. 2. We are growing very rapidly. We just had our best month in the history of the company this December and January is already on pace to exceed it. 3. We have an amazing management team here who proudly uses their voice to make my life and the lives around me better everyday. 4. We take our culture and values exceptionally seriously. The amazing men and women that choose Directive every day give me comfort and joy that we are going in the right direction and building something special. I wish you nothing but the best and I hope that you find what you are looking for in your next endeavor. - Garrett
1.0
Mar 3, 2021

The truth (welcome to the woodchipper)

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Worked with really talented people (all of whom left within the a year of working at Directive).

Cons

First, read the Jan 7, 2021 review below as well. They're a bit more brave than I am with sharing the reality of Directive and it is 100% accurate. 95% of my team quit within the time I was working there. One VP quit and another was fired for trying to improve the agency. I had 3 different directors. People are rewarded for loyalty, not results. Mental, physical, and/or emotional health is a big reason for leaving. You'll be burned out within 3-6 months and then spend another 3-6 months trying to keep your head above water while you find a new job. Want to take a week off? Only if you can get 2 weeks worth of work done ahead of time. The ones who stayed have been moved to sales roles (because sales pipeline is all that matters there). This place is especially toxic, has zero diversity, and the environment is horrific if you're a woman. The only people who thrive here are people who went to college with management, or are part of the "so-cal boys club." Management even abandoned their Austin office to move back to socal. Read the management replies to other reviews as well. The level of gaslighting you see in all of them is how he views the world. I expect the same reply to mine. Finally, all positive reviews you're reading are written by current employees and likely in response to management talking about the bad reviews on here. He doesn't *ask* for positive reviews, but it was implied. You don't dare stand up to leadership, there. People are afraid to leave reviews like this for that reason.

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Directive Response
5y
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate your perspective and look forward to making Directive a little better every day. We won't stop trying to get better and I hope you find what you are looking for at your next job. - Garrett
1.0
Mar 6, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Perks & Benefits: Cold brew & Kombucha on tap - True Table tennis - FALSE (there is no table tennis in the office) Gym membership - FALSE (this is not available) Fully remote work option - True Health benefits & 401K + 3% match - True (For tax purposes Directive provides this.) Unlimited paid-time-off / sick days - FALSE (you "apparently" have unlimited PTO/sick days, but you can't never take it because of the heavy workload.) Office snacks & stocked fridge - True (You'll find snacks in the kitchen) Team building events - FALSE (Team building events are not covered by the company. You'll have to pay out of pocket and then work OT after the event because the events are during work hours.)

Cons

This place is the complete opposite of what they are trying to draw online. Their goal is to attract young college grads who are hungry to step into the workforce. Once they employ you, they will gaslight you, overwork you and burn you out. You work OT every single day while working at Directive. And if you try to bring the heavy workload up to management, they'll make it seem like this is a learning process and a personal issue when deep down it's a broader organizational issue. They will constantly push on working longer-hours to have you show your "value" as a "quality" employee. Nothing is ever good enough and you're expected to deliver "PERFECT RESULTS". Nothing is never beta tested and processes are always changing in a span of 1 to 2 weeks. You're asked to write blog articles, training docs, and more for Directive without getting compensated for the extra work that is not part of your job description. As the CEO likes to say, "This is for your career growth!" when in reality it's for HIS company's growth. The CEO slams his employees in company wide office meetings telling them they won't find another opportunity like this elsewhere. If you're reading this, I advise you to not work at Directive. It is not worth the continuous stress. There are other (better) opportunities out there.

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Directive Response
5y
We got spammed by one star reviews between February-March of 2020. Glassdoor removed over 10 negative reviews with the same feedback and writing style as this during this period. Unfortunately, they would not remove them all. With this being said, we always have room to grow here at Directive and we take feedback very seriously. I actually responded to the first few before realizing what was happening. I would never blow off someone's review/feedback as "spam", but it's important to me that you know the truth as you are evaluating our culture. We are fully committed to listening to your voice and we hope you choose Directive as the next step in your journey. - Garrett
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Glassdoor has 163 Directive reviews submitted anonymously by Directive employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Directive is right for you.