HackerAgency Reviews

Pros

This agency very genuinely embraces employees who have an entrepreneurial spirit and developed, thoughtful ideas to bring to the table. In my experience, you will absolutely get back what you put in at Hacker. People who demonstrate ownership and a growth mindset are rewarded with autonomy and appreciation. It could be a grind at times but overall was a fun, playful culture. And I think things have only gotten better over time.

Cons

Like any agency, you are limited by the constraints of your clients - their budgets, their priorities. I had moments where I was constantly working, but more often than not I had true work life balance, which is rare in clients service.

Pros

* Got out alive * Made friends with fellow prisoners * Was paid in real money (just not that much of it)

Cons

* 80-hour workweeks were the norm * Working on pitches was the intellectual version of working on a chain gang * CEO is an out-of-touch sadist who rules with fear * It is a pretend agency that used a foosball table, a snack cupboard, and proximity to an expensive steak restaurant chain to masquerade as a real agency

Pros

Opportunity to work with talented people, including top management Great salary and benefits Wonderful clients who appreciate what we do and share their enthusiasm Excellent downtown location and beautiful office environment

Cons

Dealing with winers and complainers gets old fast. You can easily spot them as they spend their days gossiping and complaining about everything, particularly about the long hours. Stop complaining and you might actually get your work done and go home at a decent hour, but I don't think they are bright enough to figure this out. If it's so awful here why don't they do everyone a favor and find a job elsewhere - I am assuming they can't get as good a job as they have here, nor the money, so they keep hanging on. Time to do yourself and the rest of us a favor and move on to another agency - any agency but here.

Pros

HR department - have been working overtime since Hacker laid off close to 100 employees in less than a month. Despite all the uncertainty HR have continuously answered all of my questions and been a great resource. The sad thing is, I'm sure management haven't even noticed.

Cons

Where do I start? The company is so top heavy now, even with 27 employees - there are atleast 20 who do zero work. It is comical how they talk about being a 'start up environment' in every restructuring meeting - but they don't realize that they could save a bunch of money by getting rid of some of the PM directors (who drop the ball at every opportunity). The same Dir.PM has had nearly every PM that works for them leave - you'd think upper management would spot the common element in all these people leaving. There are some amazing people who work here, don't get me wrong - but those at the top are bereft of what is actually going on. It's just a boys club at the top, with an inner circle of people who just perpetuate the same B.S everyday. Nothing is going to change, it's a sinking ship with a shockingly poor level of BD and New Business Acquisition.

Pros

The office is nicely located downtown. They have some really good people working as project managers, data analysts and devs.

Cons

The executive and senior leadership of this company do not care about anything a 'minion' has to say. The CEO fosters a culture of fear and the VP of Ops has her head in the sand about any kind of project that isn't traditional direct mail print. The account management team has some good members, but they'll throw you under the bus in a heart beat if it means keeping their own reputation sparkling and clean. One of the Account Directors actually said "sometimes you have to stand on their (Project Managers) necks until they do what you want." He was also one of the first to call for Error Meetings if something was wrong, and the first to defend himself and blame everyone else in the room. It was absolutely the worst place I have ever worked and all but 3 people on my former team have quit. Hacker has a horrible reputation in the industry and I have lost count of how many times I've been asked if it's as bad as they've heard it is. My answer is that it's definitely worse than they've heard. One person asked why I accepted a job there. My answer was "I didn't know Glassdoor existed then."

Pros

Initial pay is above average and there are free snacks. There are some people that really want to make a difference...

Cons

...but they can't because they're bogged down holding the mansion together with duct tape. Almost everything is a labyrinthine process of frustration, largely because of a one-size-fits-all approach (and they're trying to fit something into a process that might have been great in 1995). The need to keep profit margins high means that there's no budget for fixing anything. Just overloading the current staff. And the lack of clear documentation (who has time to write it?) or communication (there is communication, but everything goes through 20 passes so who knows what happens at the end) means that when the keepers of all the knowledge finally throw in the towel, the new staff will be deciphering the Rosetta Stone for a while. After the initial 9 months (or three full quarters if hired in the middle of one), your pay is 50%+ tied to the company's "performance" (I say this in quotes since there are no visible metrics to prove this is really the case).

Pros

Free snacks, views, some coworkers

Cons

Everything else not mentioned above

Pros

Fun office environment sometimes. Challenging work sometimes. Cool office.

Cons

Hacker is a good agency, but its internal polotical problems make it typical. When I was there they were having 'Respect' meetings to discuss respect and what it meant. Even in these meetings people argued. Hacker isn't anything special. Putting out 1 billion pieces of direct mail is nothing to be proud about. How many of us actually want that mail? To keep direct mail running Hacker relies on elderly folks who need Medicare. I think theyre the only ones who would appreciate that sort of mail. There is a certain amoint of messiness in every company. Political problems here are expected, but you'll find them in many other places too...here though I think they don't mind them as much. Problems become a tad more amplified. Over the years many friends moved on to bigger and better things. Use Hacker as a small stepping stone if you need one. It's no place to stay and make a nest for too long.

Pros

-You get to work with top, recognizable clients which is nice for your resume. -The office is really nice. It has modern decor and nice view of the city. -A lot (not all) of the people that work here are great. They are fun and nice to talk too. -You get snacks and drinks and sometimes free beer on Fridays -The pay is at level or above market for your position

Cons

- work and life balance sucks, had to work long hours and during lunch - high pressure; a lot of tight deadlines - some of the clients that you work with are difficult - A few of the management are not friendly; very intimidating. - I seen many people cry at their desks or in conference rooms - Managers don't like to listen to you

Pros

People you work with daily, most people are very friendly, even upper management Location of the office, views from your desk (if you have a window seat) Holidays and pre-holiday early releases Benefits (health insurance options are pretty extensive and are very inclusive) Free drinks and snacks available Free dinner if you know you'll be working late (while working late is a Con, this is definitely a Pro)

Cons

WFH policy makes working with some team members difficult Work is pretty siloed for some groups Clients can be a drag on creative ideas Some positions have pretty heavy workloads and sometimes can cause late work nights