Lack of structure, vision and support - Marketing Assistant Kaizen Employee Review

2.0
Jun 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Talented team full of smart and creative people

Cons

Lack of vision and consistency: During my time at the company, I saw several big plans - like office expansions and internal incentive schemes - launched with excitement, then quietly abandoned a few months later. These changes were rarely explained and left people feeling confused and let down. Departments were restructured or cut with no clear long-term direction. Leadership talked a lot about growth, but decisions often felt reactive, not thought through, which led to high turnover and low morale. Lack of structure and support: I joined as a junior, expecting guidance and clear steps for career development. I repeatedly asked for feedback, structure, and clarity around expectations, but nothing meaningful was ever put in place, which seriously impacted my growth. If you’re not in a client-facing role, be careful - non-billable teams were often left behind or cut (this happened to most of my team). Well-washing: The company’s social media gives the impression they really care about mental health and wellbeing. But in reality, the culture didn’t reflect that. Offering therapy sessions doesn’t mean much if you’re micromanaging staff, blaming juniors for major issues, and creating an intimidating environment. A few senior leaders genuinely care, but other decision-makers didn't seem to.

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Kaizen Response
9mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re sorry to hear that your experience at Kaizen didn't match your expectations. We want to directly acknowledge the following points you raised: - Leadership team: We've recently restructured the leadership team to bring in a new Managing Director and embark upon a strategic & cultural reset. - Inconsistent strategic follow-through: We've worked on improving our planning processes and transparency to help build more trust in long-term direction. - Lack of development for junior and non-billable staff: We're sorry to hear of your negative experience relating to lack of support for junior staff members. We have processes in place, such as our probationary review and Best Self Review cycles to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to receive timely feedback and set ambitious goals to support career development. We also offer a dedicated training budget for team members to use to further their skillset. We've also equipped our line managers with training delivered by an external trainer to ensure we deliver the highest standards of management. - Wellbeing: We aim to create a healthy, supportive internal culture and are disappointed that you had a negative experience. We have taken your feedback on board and have reviewed our leadership structure and behaviours recently, making changes to address challenges and ensure alignment with the values we promote. Our processes and practices have been reviewed and any necessary changes have been made. Thank you for your contributions and insights. We wish you all the best in your next chapter.

Explore other reviews about Kaizen

4.0
Jun 18, 2026
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Pros

Creative fast paced agency with lots of room to grow!

Cons

n/a - having a great time

5.0
Sep 19, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are strong progression opportunities, with a clear management structure, review cycle, and goal-setting process that are consistently followed. The culture of teamwork stands out across all levels, and you truly feel like everyone is working together rather than in silos. It’s a supportive environment, with genuine effort put into bringing people together through initiatives like lunch & learns, cross-team collaboration, and regular socials. The senior leadership team has recently outlined an exciting vision for the future of the business, with ambitious growth goals that extend to both the service offering and the team itself. Most importantly, it’s clear that people across the company genuinely care, and not only about their clients, but also about each other. The senior team actively seeks feedback and is committed to ensuring that everyone enjoys their work, feels fulfilled in their role, and stays inspired.

Cons

Forward planning and capacity management could be more efficient, as the current approach often creates unnecessary stress within the team. This is an area that would benefit from focused improvement at a business level. As part of this, there isn’t always enough time dedicated to personal development, whether that’s staying up to date with our fast-changing industry or pursuing individual growth projects. Creating more time for this would directly support the company’s ambitions, helping the team stay fully informed on industry trends, contribute to thought leadership, and build stronger, more innovative strategies for clients. It would also position us to achieve the agency’s clear goal of being seen as leaders in the market.

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