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Murphy Research

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All that Glitters isn't Gold - Anonymous employee Murphy Research Employee Review

3.0
May 19, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Nice coworkers: Most people are very easy to work with -Fun location: The office is located in Santa Monica, within walking distance of the beach -Variety of clients/projects: There is a wide variety of clients and some interesting projects, although individuals are often stuck with the same ones year after year -Some managers are good

Cons

-Management is delusional: Management turns a blind-eye to issues within the company and seems to think that they can do no wrong even when annual turnover (estimated 40-50%) says otherwise. They attribute the crazy numbers of people quitting to factors out of their control rather than making changes or even introspecting. -President is overly focused on image: President is more focused on attracting new clients and new employees than addressing the needs of current employees. For example, there's no more money for welcome lunches with new employees even though he just BOUGHT an office in Santa Monica. As mentioned in another review, employees are bribed to get the company on the list of "Best Places to Work in LA". Beware of the flashy photos of the office and social media postings. -Poor work-life balance: For a company that constantly brags about their "work-life balance" and "fun", both suck. You'll be treated like a child here, needing permission to take off even 15 minutes. Employees are expected to be in the office 9am-6pm even if they have earlier morning meetings or work activities scheduled for later in the night, meaning that your days can go well over 9 hours even if you're not working against a deadline. People regularly come in early/stay late. Almost no one takes their legal 10 minute breaks (and we're certainly not made aware of it by management), and many eat lunch at their desks. Your lunch break can and will be taken away when "necessary". Partners are forbidden from traveling with you. There have been dubious practices such as taking away overtime from hourly employees. The "fun" is the once-a-year holiday party that everyone writes about. -Poor job security: Management will not hesitate to fire or lay off employees. -Lack of follow-through: Initiatives that are supposed to improve work life for employees fail miserably. Volunteer initiatives are pushed aside for years, and PET projects modeled after Google are a joke. Expect to get 1 hour a month to work on a project that the company assigned you to IF your project work is done. -Lack of privacy/quiet: The office is insanely loud and all the walls are glass except the President's office. -No transparency: Ironically, all the walls are glass but there's no transparency...haha. Managers fail to inform employees about the most basic going-on's like people quitting. Maybe you'll get an email at 9pm and learn that that had been your coworker's last day. Or maybe you'll never be informed. -Low pay: Believe me, you can make more. -No choice in projects.

Explore other reviews about Murphy Research

5.0
Apr 8, 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Wonderful teammates and management who are a pleasure to work with - High level of trust and autonomy - Great deal of investment into their employees - Fantastically diverse team - Supportive leadership - High level of transparency - A focus on employee growth and promoting from within

Cons

The workload tends to comes in waves. This means you often find yourself either completely saturated with work, or relatively empty-handed.

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Murphy Research Response
4y
Thanks so much for leaving some feedback. We know managing workloads is a tricky and constant priority as client needs are always changing. We're so glad to hear you've had a wonderful experience working with our team and feel supported, trusted, and able to do your job autonomously. We really value the contribution that you (and every employee) brings to our culture, so thank you for continuing to share your feedback and working with us to create a great workplace!
4.0
Jan 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great entry level job, they teach you everything you need about market research

Cons

Terrible pay for junior roles

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