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      SMG

      Engaged employer

      SMG Reviews

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      3.3

      62% would recommend to a friend

      (104 total reviews)
      avatar

      Katie Streeter Hurle

      94% approve of CEO

      59% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.8

      Culture and values

      3.5

      Diversity and inclusion

      3.3

      Senior management

      3.3

      Compensation and benefits

      3.2

      Work/Life balance

      3.2

      Career opportunities

      SMG has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 104 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The SMG employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      104 reviews
      3.0
      May 29, 2026

      Overwhelming workload, low pay, but a nice environment.

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      - Similar-minded colleagues make an enjoyable work environment. - Flexible working schedule is useful. - Managers offer freedom to develop, and work autonomously. - Good progression opportunities (only if you're lucky).

      Cons

      - The workload is AWFUL. You see it mentioned on almost every review on here, spanning years back, and they provide the same response about how they're working on it or actively looking at it. I can assure you that is a complete and utter lie. They do absolutely nothing to try and make workloads manageable, as they are constantly trying to cut costs, streamline teams, and most recently force redundancies and pay freezes. They may act performative on LinkedIn professing how much they care about your wellbeing, but they most definitely do not take any steps to make the job manageable within the time you have, and therefore everybody is stressed out and overworked. (I am sure they will provide the same banal AI-generated response here about how they're committed to making workloads more manageable, or something along those lines. Don't believe them.) - Base salaries are not competitive (partly why there's such high turnover). £33k for a Senior Executive role in London is terrible. You will also struggle to progress from there in most teams. - Disorganisation. Processes are convoluted, tedious, and waste lots of time. Too much admin & trivial nonsense is a large reason why the workload is too high (they have no idea how to solve this by the way).

      avatar
      SMG Response
      2d
      Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback and for your contribution during your time at SMG. We're pleased to hear that you valued the support of your colleagues, the flexibility available, and the autonomy provided by managers to help people develop in their roles. Creating an environment where people can do their best work is something we deeply care about. We also recognise the concerns you've raised around workload, processes, and remuneration. We understand that these areas can have a significant impact on employee experience, and we're sorry to hear that this was your experience during your time with us. As our business continues to evolve, we regularly review how work is prioritised, how teams are structured, and how our processes support people in delivering great work as effectively as possible. We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective and wish you every success in the future.
      1.0
      May 26, 2026

      WFH flexibility overshadowed by overwork and poor culture

      Media planner
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      WFH most days of the month

      Cons

      This company essentially operates as a middleman, producing no specialist output. You will be asked to act as an extension of media owners, pull levers on campaigns, and look after client teams who are unfriendly or do not understand how to work as a team. You will be overworked and cry - you will be asked to go above and beyond, but you will not be paid for it - the bonus is just a joke, and you will never see progress

      avatar
      SMG Response
      2d
      Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased to hear that the flexibility of our hybrid working approach was a positive aspect of your experience with SMG. We're sorry to hear that your time with us did not meet your expectations and that you felt unsupported by workload pressures and career progression opportunities. We recognise that having the right levels of support, development and resourcing is essential to creating a positive employee experience, and we continue to review these areas as our business evolves. We appreciate you sharing your perspective and thank you for your contribution during your time at SMG. We wish you all the best for the future.
      2.0
      May 13, 2026

      Good people but high stress and low pay

      Senior client executive
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Enjoyable role when you’re not at max capacity (which you will be most of the time). Line managers are well trained to support you. Kind, helpful colleagues. Nice office in central London location. Good stepping stone for the brands you get to work with

      Cons

      Not worth the money. You’ll end up working overtime for free every week and be on glorified living wage, but with stress. The benefits are good in principle, but don’t fall for them - you don’t have enough hours in the day to work “flexibly” and there’s no progression. If you do somehow get promoted, 6m-1Y after already taking on the responsibility of the role above yours (unpaid), you will be lucky to get an extra 6% pay rise, and then it will be another 1-2year wait for the next one - by which time inflation will have well and truly caught up. You’re expected to prove yourself constantly and be grateful for added responsibility, without any evidence of actual progression or return. High stress, high turnover.

      avatar
      SMG Response
      1w
      Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and balanced review. We really appreciate the care and thought you’ve put into articulating both the positives and the challenges of your experience at SMG. It’s encouraging to hear your reflections on the supportive colleagues, line management, client exposure and learning opportunities you experienced during your time with us. At the same time, we recognise and take seriously the concerns you’ve raised around workload, progression, pay competitiveness and the sustainability of work-life balance. Your feedback is thoughtful, specific and constructive, and it reflects themes we know are incredibly important to our people as we continue to grow. We are actively reviewing how we better support career development, recognise contribution fairly and create a more sustainable experience for our teams across the business. We’re especially grateful for your acknowledgement of the people and values at the heart of SMG. Maintaining a culture where people feel supported, valued and able to grow is something we care deeply about, and feedback like yours helps us understand where we need to improve. Thank you again for your honesty, and we wish you all the very best in your next role.
      Viewing 1 - 3 of 104 Reviews
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      Glassdoor has 106 SMG reviews submitted anonymously by SMG employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if SMG is right for you.