High Trust & High Responsibility | Fast-Paced & Rewarding
Verbesserungsvorschläge
The biggest asset of this agency is the culture.
It’s unique and impossible to replicate.
While it continues to evolve, I believe HR in its current form is not enough.
Culture is more than just events.
It might be worth hiring someone dedicated to maintaining and developing the company culture further.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
It's a high-trust, high-responsibility workspace where you have the freedom to work in a way that suits you, as the company is very innovation-driven.
However, this boundless freedom comes with the expectation of bringing your A-game every single day.
That being said, there were also moments when one of the founders told us to shut down our laptops early and enjoy the summer sun. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.
Kommunikation
Most of the time, communication was solid.
I could always address any concerns during the weekly therapy calls, an all-hands meeting where company updates were shared.
As the company grew, quick and direct feedback became more challenging. The founders are very solution-oriented, so I never had any communication issues myself, as I am quite outspoken. However, in such a fast-paced agency, the concerns of more introverted employees can sometimes be overlooked.
There are tools in place for quieter team members, such as the eNPS (employee net promoter score). If someone gives a score of six or lower, they are usually invited to a one-on-one meeting to better understand their concerns.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
I truly believe this agency has some of the best colleagues I have ever worked with. These people are not only highly talented but also incredibly kind and supportive.
The agency is structured into five self-organized circles, each led by a circle lead, who, for simplicity’s sake, is often also the account manager.
Circle leads always have their team's back and can coordinate with other leads to request additional support if a project becomes too demanding.
Work-Life-Balance
If you're good at self-organization and setting boundaries, work-life balance won’t be an issue.
Yes, at the end of the day, the work needs to get done, but you can always ask for support from other circles, request freelance assistance, or communicate when a task exceeds your skillset or capacity.
Nobody expects you to outperform yourself daily, but progress within a reasonable timeframe is expected.
This agency genuinely believes in working with the best talent the media industry has to offer.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
Both founders felt more like peers than traditional bosses to me. Maybe this was because we were similar in age or because I had been self-employed for a long time and shared an entrepreneurial mindset.
Every concern I raised was taken seriously. Some were addressed, while others weren’t, as the founders had a different perspective on how to handle them, which is fair, considering it's their company.
One notable challenge was salary discrepancies. Some employees earned significantly less than industry peers. However, since HR was established, salary ranges for each position have been implemented to create more transparency and fairness. I believe the founders are striving to improve processes and implement better structures for a more stable and equitable work environment.
Over my time at the agency, I worked with six different circle leads and five of whom did an outstanding job in problem-solving and managing projects. With one, our work styles clashed, but even that was eventually resolved.
Interessante Aufgaben
I never formally studied marketing or production, but both founders trusted me to do the job, and what I learned at this agency was nothing short of amazing.
I had the chance to learn from incredibly skilled professionals, work on major brands and pitches including Eucerin, Back Market, Penny, and Nikon and was always encouraged to pitch new ideas or projects.
Gleichberechtigung
I might not be the best person to assess this, as I am a heteronormative man, but more than 80% of the agency's employees are women, and about a third come from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
I never noticed any advantages or disadvantages based on race, age, or sexuality.
Umgang mit älteren Kollegen
The oldest colleague I encountered was around 40. Hiring seems to be based more on role suitability and skillset rather than age. I never experienced or overheard any age-related discrimination.
At 30, I was on the older end of the spectrum when I was hired 2.5 years ago as a content creator and TikTok skill lead, a role typically filled by younger employees in other agencies.
Arbeitsbedingungen
The office setup is state-of-the-art, as expected from an agency operating at this level. Fast laptops, large monitors, ergonomic chairs, plenty of meeting rooms, full remote work flexibility, a huge production area, a top-tier espresso machine, and filtered water.
Everything you could ask for.
Since office management changed, there are fewer snacks available, and the open-plan workspace can get noisy on busy days (typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays), which might be challenging for those sensitive to noise.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
¡Ten cuidado!
The agency has a self-appointed CMO (Chief Mülltrennung Officer), who will most certainly find out whether you're separating your waste correctly or not.
To reduce waste, the office has a water filtration system, an espresso machine, and employees often cook meals on-site.
Dogs are very welcome in the office, and if you're considering joining, mentioning that you have a dog during your interview could boost your chances significantly.
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
Salary experiences vary among employees, but for me, the process was straightforward.
Salary negotiations are always possible, and raises are tied to specific goals that must be met within a certain timeframe. A recently introduced process, the “Goldrunde,” involves the founders, circle leads, skill leads, HR, and finance teams discussing salary adjustments.
In my case, I didn’t go through a Goldrunde. I started with an annual gross salary of 45k €. The founder responsible for creative salaries at the time increased it to 52k € after a brief negotiation, and another six months later, it was raised to 58k €. Beyond my daily tasks, I was given the responsibility of building a production team, which justified the salary increase.
Throughout my 2.5 years at the agency, I was never paid late once.
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Over the past year, the company has addressed many internal structural issues, leading to significant workflow changes. While these improvements were necessary, they caused some frustration among employees.
However, everyone takes pride in their work, and every day brings another major brand wanting to collaborate with the agency.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
Employees receive a monthly 50 € budget for skill development, which can be used incrementally or saved for a larger purchase. Team members can also pool their budgets to invest in more extensive training.
With the newly developed career paths, employees can either specialize and advance vertically within their field or expand their skill set to become versatile professionals. Whether you want to be a generalist or a specialist, the opportunities for career growth are there.