System1 Group Reviews

Pros

People within the business have extensive knowledge about the company's offerings, customers' pain points and needs, and research and behavioural science Great PTO allotment and benefits Flexible remote work environment Ability to have ownership over projects and appreciation from others within the business when these are executed

Cons

Onboarding requires a lot of dedication to learn about the various admin processes

Pros

HR, research team, tech is average.

Cons

Sr.Mgmt. C-Level in London. Once innovative, now kind of embarrassing that S1 thinks they are "unique" compared to everyone else. Turnoever is high.

Pros

- Amazing people - Truly innovative methods and products - Charismatic and inspirational leaders

Cons

- The company lost its soul following advice from new leadership who clearly did not know anything about the professional services industry. All talk, no results - Became just another soul-crushing, cookie cutter research firm - Everyone who identified with the initial culture of playfulness, curiosity, being the "enfant terribles" of MR, left

Pros

Employment is always good. But: check out the "cons".

Cons

I was inspired to write this after a LinkedIn post went viral - the post listed 15 signs of a toxic work environment. My experience at System1 checked at least half of the boxes. The first major sign: lots of people resigning, and a shared understanding that everyone is looking for another job. I was at the company for 16 months, and I had a total of 8 supervisors. There is no space to grow: the first level position of Research Associate, which I occupied, was tasked with the same duties as two levels up. So basically you are doing the same rote tasks for at least 5 years, regardless of job title. There is no merit-based promotions - you must do at least x amount of time before being considered for a promotion. You also aren't welcome to make your own decisions - emails must be checked by your supervisor (even the most cursory ones) before sending.

Pros

The office culture depends on which office you work in. Some offices have more people and some have less. But overall, it is a small-ish company and at times you will be have experiences to grow beyond your job descriptions. Also, there's travel opportunities and a good number of paid time off. The top execs hold monthly meetings on how the company is doing and is transparent about the yearly goals.

Cons

Health insurance can be a bit expensive. The company is trying to grow and has undergone several changes. Since it is ad hoc research, Sometimes you have to work later hours or come in earlier or work weekends. Also, HR and other branches are located in London which can be inconvenient at times.

Pros

Innovative approaches and tons of implicit trust in staff. People are free to work their own hours in their own environment as long as the work is getting done. Generous benefits and 5 weeks of vacation per year. Recent changes are opening up room for a revived culture. Young employees are given tons of opportunities to take the lead on projects, interact with clients, and participate in industry events.

Cons

Had a poor fiscal year in 2017/18 which led to an obsession with "the numbers" and subsequently not enough focus on the people. Management has acknowledged this and is actively trying to turn things around. It's not an easy task, but there is definitely commitment from many to get there.

Pros

Wonderful, smart and fun people. Collaborative environment. Excellent benefits. People really care about helping each other learn and grow. More interesting research methods than major players.

Cons

Ad hoc business model means waves in workload. Need to be able to self-manage your time. Some of the work can run back toward more traditional and less interesting research methods.

Pros

Very fun group of smart and caring people. Although there are challenges, everyone works very hard to overcome them. Always pushing to be on the cutting edge of behavioral economics and research. Opportunities are available for upward movement, although you must advocate for yourself.

Cons

When business gets busy, work-life balance sometimes suffers.

Pros

Small-ish company with many perks like travel and company sponsored events. Modern NYC office. Great place to learn about market research and if you choose to stay a good place to grow. Flexible working conditions.

Cons

None that I can think of.

Pros

Unbelievably brilliant coworkers. Fantastic vacation policy. Casual dress code. Innovative methodologies and points of view.

Cons

Night and weekend work (projects are global in scope and require some extra time to manage)