Toxic culture - Anonymous employee Edelman Employee Review

1.0
Oct 20, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

EB's affiliation with Edelman, which is well-respected and has a great client roster. However, the culture within Edelman Berland is so toxic that it outweighs these benefits. If you're serious about a career in market research, working for EB would actually hurt your future career prospects. If you know you want to work in public relations, pursue work with Edelman directly.

Cons

This used to be a great company, but two CEO changes, first in 2011, then again in 2012, completely overhauled the company's philosophy, business model, operations, clientele, and culture. Change in inevitable with any leadership turnover, but nearly every change implemented in the last 3 years has been to the organization's detriment. Company leaders encourage pettiness, gossip, and passive-aggressive behaviors. The culture is absolutely toxic. Most of the talented employees were either pushed out, or treated so terribly they left on their own within 2 years. The CEO is not a leader, he's a dictator and a jerk.

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The pace can be a lot, and the work can feel reactive at times. Priorities shift quickly and roles often expand beyond the original scope without always having clear boundaries, title growth, or compensation changes. Career growth is possible, but you often have to advocate for it yourself. Overall, Edelman can be a great place to grow if you are adaptable, organized, and comfortable with ambiguity. It works best when you have strong leaders, clear expectations, and support around workload and growth. That last part is impossible to control, so may the odds be in your favor.

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