Good colleagues, but poor leadership and modest career prospects, with one-sided expectations and overall high workload.
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
I appreciated the interesting and varied tasks, which allowed me to incorporate my own interests into projects and continuously learn new things.
The flexible working hours are another positive aspect, providing the ability to start and end the workday within a reasonable range and take longer breaks during lunch for example when needed.
Additionally, the company offers several benefits, such as a subsidized online cafeteria, a pension plan, JobRad, an HVV ticket, access to corporate benefits, and the annual Summer Office retreat. This event allows employees to work from a rented vacation house in a sunny location for 1-2 weeks, providing a unique and enjoyable experience.
Lastly, the company has many likable colleagues, and overall, team collaboration is effective, fostering a supportive and engaging work environment.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
I find the high-pressure atmosphere and the significant demands for continuous self-optimization particularly challenging.
The lack of support for developing leadership skills, along with inconsistent quality standards for team leads, adds to the stress.
Salary increases following promotions are often modest, and there is no standardized salary adjustment for inflation.
Overtime is inherent in the system, frequently leading to possibly unpaid extra hours (if not tracked).
Additionally, the company tends to hire foreign professionals from outside the EU, which I hope does not result in unequal pay.
The insufficient number of vacation days compared to industry standards and the occasional lack of serious consideration for employee concerns are also significant drawbacks.
Verbesserungsvorschläge
To improve the work environment, the company should consider introducing a specialist career path for employees with extensive expertise who do not wish to take on leadership roles.
Reducing pressure and slightly increasing salaries would help prevent employee burnout and improve overall satisfaction. A reduction of workload by approximately 15% and a salary increase by the same amount could make a significant difference for many employees.
It's also crucial to take employee concerns seriously. There have been cases where significant issues within teams were not resolved, often due to HR siding with higher-ranking individuals to protect their positions.
Increasing vacation days to 30, aligning with industry standards, would also be beneficial.
Additionally, the company should implement measures to ensure consistent leadership quality across all departments. While there are competent and personable team leads, there are also those who are mediocre or poor in their roles.
Providing genuine incentives for long-term employee performance is essential, as current rewards are perceived as inadequate.
Finally, organizing more team events that do not center around alcohol would cater to diverse employee preferences and foster a more inclusive atmosphere
Arbeitsatmosphäre
The general work atmosphere is often stressful, with significant pressure from upper management being passed down. This creates a passively aggressive environment, preventing a consistently pleasant work environment from developing. The dynamics are ever-changing, contributing to the stress.
However, the work with clients is pleasant. There are many likable colleagues, and cross-team collaboration is good, although the atmosphere can vary depending on the team.
The relationship with my manager was mixed; while knowledgeable, he seemed disinterested and challenged in a leadership role. The company lacked support for developing leadership skills, adding to the stress.
Overall, the pressure, combined with insufficient compensation and benefits, made it difficult to maintain a positive work environment.
Kommunikation
The communication in the company is inconsistent. While it is positive that insights and success stories are frequently shared, there is often a lack of honesty in overall communication. The management is open to direct contact, but the focus on profit maximization and cost reduction is evident and creates a sense of mistrust among employees.
This approach often leads to decisions that prioritize financial goals over employee well-being, resulting in a perceived lack of transparency and sincerity.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
The company has many likable colleagues, and overall, team collaboration is effective. The work environment varies depending on the team, with some teams fostering better relationships than others. While team-wide collaboration is generally positive, the cohesion and supportiveness among colleagues play a significant role in mitigating the stress and pressures of the job.
Work-Life-Balance
Work-life balance can be challenging to maintain. It often feels more like work-life blending, with a lot of time spent at work and in the office, as well as numerous opportunities for after-work activities with colleagues. While there are many events and ways to engage socially, the increasing pressure and one-sided demands, coupled with insufficient compensation and benefits (such as limited vacation days), make it difficult to truly disconnect and not feel frustrated. The stress from work often carries over into personal life, making it hard to achieve a satisfactory balance.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
The relationship with my manager was mixed. He has extensive knowledge but seemed uninterested in a leadership role. The company does not support developing leadership skills, which adds to the stress. My manager often appeared to be under high pressure, which does not help the overall situation in a small team.
There is no consistent quality standard for leadership behavior. Some team leads are both empathetic and competent, some are mediocre, and others are truly poor in their roles. The lack of guidance and support from HR to train and develop new leaders exacerbates these issues.
Interessante Aufgaben
The tasks I had were genuinely interesting, though this depends on your role. I was able to incorporate my own interests into projects to some extent and learned new things along the way. The variety and scope of the tasks made the work engaging and provided opportunities for professional growth.
Gleichberechtigung
In general, there were no major issues with equality that I noticed in day-to-day work. However, it often seems like a strategic decision to hire foreign professionals, especially those from outside the EU, primarily due to lower wage costs. I can imagine that these employees, likely due to their weaker negotiating positions, are frequently paid lower salaries.
Umgang mit älteren Kollegen
I can only give three stars here because there are hardly any older colleagues (over 40) in the agency that I can remember. This makes you wonder why...
Arbeitsbedingungen
The working hours are flexible, allowing employees to choose their start and end times within a reasonable range and take longer breaks for example during lunch if needed.
However, overtime is inherent in the system, often resulting in extended work hours. The company uses a time tracking tool that requires employees to log every task precisely. There are ambitious billable targets that employees are encouraged to meet to receive modest bonuses, as outlined in a Personal Development Plan (PDP), which also influences career progression.
Regularly, employees work on projects without tracking hours to meet these targets, especially when internal tasks or project management duties consume their time. The perceived incentive to not track internal tasks exists, because employees want to optimize their billable ratio: If you have the set goal to work 60 percent or more directly billed to the client, you are less likely to track internal tasks such as project management, because your billable ratio will deteriorate.
The actual work conditions vary significantly between teams; some have more manageable hours, while colleagues in others teams are regularly expected to work overtime.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
There are no notable points in this area from my perspective, as the business operates primarily with a digital model.
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
The salary is highly dependent on negotiation and the team you are in. Generally, if you work in a team with lower client billable rates, your salary will also be lower. Conversely, teams like Consulting with higher billable rates tend to pay better. There are no standardized salary regulations, and salaries have not been adjusted for inflation in recent years. Raises after promotions are typically modest. In summary, salary is rarely a compelling reason to work at Front Row.
The company offers some benefits, such as subsidized online cafeteria, pension plan, JobRad, HVV ticket, access to corporate benefits, and the annual Summer Office, where employees can work from a rented vacation house in a sunny location for 1-2 weeks.
Image
The company's external image is polished and attractive, aiming to draw in talented professionals. However, internally, the reality can differ. While the company tries to promote a positive culture and dynamic work environment, the high-pressure atmosphere and one-dimensional focus on profit can lead to employee dissatisfaction. The discrepancy between the external image and the internal experience can be significant, which might affect long-term employee retention.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
Career advancement opportunities vary by team and team lead. Generally, career progression is neither particularly good nor bad. Demonstrating increasing performance and economic efficiency aggressively, as outlined in the Personal Development Plan (PDP), is almost always necessary for promotions. Additionally, salary increases following a promotion can often be rather modest.
While there is a budget for further training, finding time for these activities can be challenging due to project deadlines and client work. The company tends to favor a "learning by doing" approach, which can be stressful as employees are often expected to quickly acquire new skills on the job. Nevertheless, colleagues are usually willing to help each other with technical knowledge.