Everyone hates it here - Anonymous employee Diablo Employee Review

1.0
Jan 31, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Healthcare, I guess. And with the exception of a few individuals, there are some wonderful people who work there.

Cons

This company is in such shambles--sometimes literally, as in the case of the carpet that's falling apart--it's hard to know where to start. Morale has been on sharp decline for a long time now, and consequently, the turnover is outrageously high. In the past year alone, Diablo magazine has lost its managing editor, a digital coordinator, an associate editor, TWO art directors, and an editor in chief (and from what I hear, it's about to be TWO editors in chief). And that's just one department--the turnover has been just as bad across the entire company. The "leadership" is a joke. The president of the company has no plan and readily admits to it, and he spends more time doing line edits for the magazine than actually trying to grow the company. The editorial director is extremely unprofessional, and she spends more time manipulating and undermining the editorial team (on multiple occasions, she tried to get me to turn on my colleagues) than figuring out ways to grow the magazine. But the worst of them is the "creative" director, who hasn't had a fresh idea since the early '90s. He actually believes he can do no wrong--meaning you will have to go along with his bland, uninspired, and often nonsensical design choices. And that's not even mentioning the "former" owner that dictates editorial and art from afar. On top of that, this company is a lawsuit away from going under. Its treatment of its female employees is absolutely atrocious. If you're a woman, don't expect your ideas to get taken seriously, and don't expect to be paid at anywhere near the rate men are paid. I am a male, and I started at the company as an assistant editor for DCP; when I transferred to the magazine, the woman they hired to replace me earned almost $10/hr LESS than I did. And as an associate editor at the magazine, I found out I made nearly $10,000 MORE than the female managing editor, and almost $20,000 MORE than the other (female) associate editor. Stay away. Even if you just graduated and are trying to break into the industry, find somewhere else to work. This company is a dead end, both in terms of your career and your soul. Trust me, you can do better.

Explore other reviews about Diablo

5.0
May 22, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great Team Always something Interesting going on Well-organised Fair wages Input valued

Cons

Alas, it was only temporary.

4.0
Jun 11, 2008
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great office, new computers, fun people. Great location, near the freeway and BART. Most people are very friendly and competent. You get hands-on experience doing whatever it is you'd like. Lunches are 1 hour and schedules are very flexible.

Cons

Pay, especially for younger employees, is extremely low. Also, some employees feel as though they are simply working to line the magazine founder's pockets, and that's pretty much true. Steve Rivera seems nice, but rarely speaks to the newer/lesser-paid employees and wears extremely expensive suits and cologne every day. Sometimes it feels as if he's rubbing it in your face. The sales people are equally obsessed with money and material items and it's very difficult to relate to them. One editorial staff member left his job as an assistant editor making only $24k -- that's slave labor.

3
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