Disappointing - Anonymous employee VSSL Agency Employee Review

2.0
Mar 6, 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Beautiful view, dog-friendly, beer is always stocked in the fridge, met some cool people.

Cons

I do not recommend working at VSSL if you value career growth, work-life balance and a chill work environment. Leadership is not trained to adequately support employees, if you report difficulties with a client or with a team member it often gets ignored. Leadership also shows clear favoritism to certain employees, and any issues with them with go undressed, bringing down team morale and making it seem like your voice doesn’t matter. Leadership also does not stand up to rude and disrespectful clients, so if you enjoy being treated with dignity and respect as a professional, do not expect that here. Regarding the workload, leadership often will micromanage and overpromise to clients so the rest of the team has to deal with unrealistic timelines and an overwhelming amount of work, once again contributing to low morale.

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VSSL Agency Response
2y
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on Glassdoor. We are sorry to hear that your experience with us fell short of your expectations. It is always our intention to provide a positive and supportive work environment for all employees, and we regret any instances where we may have fallen short of this goal. At VSSL, we work really hard to cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive. We encourage open communication through regular 1:1s, anonymous feedback forms, and our annual employee engagement surveys. We are committed to continuously evolving and enhancing our workplace policies and practices to ensure that all employees feel valued, respected, and supported. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for your contribution to the agency.

Explore other reviews about VSSL Agency

5.0
Sep 15, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice people, great office, free beer

Cons

Clients can be a lot to handle but that's agency life!

1.0
Feb 20, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice office view and dog-friendly environment.

Cons

VSSL has been the worst company I’ve ever worked for. Resolving issues, whether they involve disrespectful coworkers or rude clients, is a huge challenge here. Leadership's lack of backbone in addressing these conflicts creates a toxic environment where employees feel unsupported and undervalued. Without a clear protocol or HR department to handle such situations, addressing concerns becomes even more difficult, leaving employees feeling powerless and unheard. It’s also very clicky, and they choose to promote those who are favored vs. people who have the actual required experience and skill set to lead effective teams. In addition to the already heavy workload, the leadership team also puts pressure on employees to stay for Happy Hours twice a week after working hours. This made a lot of employees, including myself, feel VERY uncomfortable. At times, after a long day of work, we just want to relax at home instead of having to drink with our bosses. Let's talk about turnover. There has always been a sense of instability at VSSL, and it often felt like there was a revolving door. About 13 employees left the company within 1.5 years. Bringing the team morale down significantly. The company claims to be the "best place to work." If you're wondering how they got that title, it's because they ask new or junior employees to pen glowing reviews to hide the negative reviews on Glassdoor from previous employees they screwed over. So, take those positive reviews with a grain of salt.

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VSSL Agency Response
2y
Thank you for the review. There's a lot to unpack here, and we appreciate your candid feedback. At our core, we're a boutique agency in a highly competitive space striving to fulfill our purpose of leaving the world better than we found it by connecting our crew, clients, and their customers. Occasionally, team members join us whose values don't align with our mission, vision, and values, which seems to be the case based on your review. We offer a heartfelt apology that your experience differed significantly from the majority of our past and present team members. That was not our intent. Agency work is fast-paced and not for everyone. We do our best to balance this intensity with monthly events at and around our San Diego HQ including weekly happy hours, Thursday lunches on the house, and more. These events are voluntary and, again, we are sorry to hear you felt pressured to attend. While your experience may not reflect the norm, we take your feedback seriously and are committed to continuous improvement.
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