Not the best, and maybe not the worst - Anonymous employee Instrument Employee Review

2.0
Nov 30, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company offers wonderful incentives to stick around like the EOY profit share bonus and a decent amount of money invested in each of their hires to put towards Professional Development. The partners appear well-intentioned.

Cons

This place is grossly homogenous. Instrument constantly speaks about changing the company makeup to be more diverse and inclusive, but it's really just a facade to appear progressive. For years, we've had the same white men in the room talking about change without putting in the work. As a creative, be prepared to make the same marketing sites over and over again to match the "Instrument aesthetic." The same people in leadership determine what the final output looks like for every and any project, so there's a general sameness in approach in tandem with an already non-existent design process.

Explore other reviews about Instrument

5.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company with great people. Seamless life, work balance, and a very nice company culture.

Cons

No big cons as far as my concern. The pay can be slightly better, but it's okay compared to other agencies' standards.

3.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people here are great. Every team feels fairly connected, even for a 250+ person agency. Work/life balance is the best I've experienced at an agency so far. Pay is fair and scales depending on where you live and your experience overall. Work has the potential to be interesting, but most clients we bring in are not looking for ground-breaking work.

Cons

The benefits are not extraordinary, other than generous PTO. Recently removed a sabbatical program. Layoffs that come as a surprise, with scrambles only months later to fill the eliminated roles. Freelance hiring is hit or miss. Publicly-owned with a parent company that doesn't align with Instrument's morals. Leadership feels fairly disconnected and not genuinely interested in resolving the low morale amongst the larger team. Seemingly more interested in advertising themselves and using AI than in focusing on craft and high-quality projects. Constant leadership departures create anxiety.

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