2.3
39% would recommend to a friend
39% positive business outlook
Pros
Meeting some lovely individuals who never get the recognition they deserve. Handing in my notice.
Cons
Senior management create a very toxic environment for people. In particular the group creative director who speaks to people in a degrading manner making it very hard to stay motivated. He is the main reason I hated my time here.
Pros
What you put into focus you definitely get out. If you show you care, and that you actually want to be there then management will invest the time in helping you to progress in your career. Since working there I’ve had the opportunity to undergo an account management course which was incredibly useful as I’ve come from a background with minimal experience in this. The course was totally funded by focus and has been useful over my time here so far. When workload has been busy (let’s face it every job will have ‘busy’ periods) senior management and even the MD have gone out of their way to check that I have the resources and support I need, and have never made me feel a burden for asking for extra support. Moving to the area during the pandemic, one thing I really love about focus is the opportunity at various social events to get to know people within the company. Social events happen every month and some are fully funded and completely worth it. I’ve never been expected to work late, no matter how much work is on it’s always been made very clear that management don’t want you to have to do extra hours - they want you to have a good work life balance and be able to switch off once office hours are over. This is something I really appreciate in a company.
Cons
Like any agency, the workload can get busy - BUT management ensure that this workload is spread fairly amongst the team so this isn’t really a con. Salary can be seen as not so competitive when looking at other agencies in the area
Pros
Nearby fields you can scream in.
Cons
Focus is one of those companies that calls itself a family, which in today's world is a huge red flag. Business is never family. Workloads are high with minimal training. Whispering, gossip, being rude to people, and exclusion tactics are common. Certain members of senior management have never worked anywhere else, so they have no idea that they are out of touch and that as an agency, Focus falls well behind its peers. Others are incredibly rude, swearing on calls, making terrible remarks about clients (!) behind their backs, and even halting interviews so they can shout at someone walking past or swear at something inanimate. The teams brag if they 'beat' another agency on a pitch, when in reality, the agencies beating them don't even pay them any mind. Being graceful and professional is not something that even enters the vocabulary at Focus. Staff turnover is insanely high, but they mask this by promoting internally. The problem here is that most staff are in their early 20s, with very little experience, so they think they are doing really well. If they tried to go somewhere of substance, they would probably really struggle. Daily reminders of how much money the teams need to make keep the pressure on, with statements like “if you want your bonus you know what you have to do” and “remember that referral bonus” thrown around often. This might be ok if they invested in staff, or heating. There are sad offers of pizza or an alcoholic drink, which apparently are considered more incentivising than fair working hours and appropriate deadlines. The office is cold as it's essentially a poorly converted barn with single glazing, and there's nothing to do on breaks (if you take them, which most people don't). The car park is hazardous and you get patronising emails about it a lot. You may even spend 30 minutes of your day 'shuffling' cars around so people can leave. They don't support WFH post-pandemic and staff must be in the office at least three SET days a week. Flexibility isn’t encouraged in any way. This is not the place for anyone worth their salt in marketing, and could potentially seriously damage someone's mental health.
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