Nightmarish place to work. - Anonymous employee Complex Employee Review

1.0
Apr 16, 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company name, and some big clients on your resume.

Cons

Incredibly toxic and unstable place to work at, Many of the people here are trapped in high school, in terms of professionalism/maturity. Managers have major issues - I constantly felt held back in my role - and talk behind their direct reports' backs (I have evidence that mine certainly did) and rude employees get rewarded rather than reprimanded for their behavior. And if you wanted to raise anything inappropriate to HR? Good luck, as they are less than useless. No baseline level of respect, and I know some talented people who left the company because of that. While team dynamics became a bit more civilized under Buzzfeed (despite other obvious stability/financial issues), the Complex "o.g.'s" are now back to running the show. For many of them, Complex is their only professional experience, so they have gotten away with cliqueishness and exhibit contempt towards both new employees, and new ideas. For that last reason among others, this company will probably not be around much longer, while continuing to shoot itself in the foot and inhibit real growth. So please do yourself a favor, look elsewhere.

Explore other reviews about Complex

5.0
Jan 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Consistency, Team oriented, Creative, A place to get your foot in the door

Cons

Not enough of this kind of flow.

1.0
May 17, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Complex had genuine brand equity and talented people throughout the organization. That makes it all the more frustrating to watch the company be run the way it is.

Cons

Executive leadership operates on ego, tenure, and proximity to power rather than performance or accountability. There is no coherent business strategy, and more tellingly, no apparent interest in developing one. Decision-making is opinion-based at the top and the consequences flow downward. Appointments are made based on relationships rather than qualifications, including in roles that require deep technical expertise. Asking seasoned professionals to report into leadership with no relevant background isn't just a structural mistake, it's demoralizing to people who have spent careers building real expertise. Compensation and growth are effectively frozen. Annual reviews were canceled under the guise of budget constraints, which reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what reviews are for. Performance conversations, goal-setting, and professional development are not line items; canceling them signals that the company has given up on investing in its people. The RTO policy is the clearest window into how leadership thinks about its workforce. The mandate exists with no meaningful connection to productivity, output, or business outcomes. The stated rationale, making the office look occupied, is not a strategy. Exceptions are applied inconsistently and without explanation. The net effect is a policy that reads as punitive toward exactly the kind of senior, expert, autonomous professionals a media-tech company should be fighting to retain. Layoffs have been handled with a level of callousness that is hard to overstate. The manner in which people have been let go reflects a broader indifference to the humans behind the headcount. If you are a high performer who values transparency, strategic clarity, and being treated like a professional adult, look carefully before accepting an offer here.

2
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All