Directive reviews

2.8

33% would recommend to a friend

(151 total reviews)
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Garrett Mehrguth

36% approve of CEO

30% positive business outlook

Directive has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 151 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Directive employee rating is 25% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

151 reviews
1.0
Jul 31, 2024

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE! NEGATIVE REVIEWS 100% ACCURATE

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There isn't any pro's to working here aside from it being remote.

Cons

- No body stays here for more than 1-3 months and if they do it's because they can't find a job anywhere else -Micromanagement at the highest of levels - You will be treated more like a child versus an adult - No culture at all, everyone looks like they have one foot out the door - Lots of kool-aid drinking drones working here - ZERO autonomy, expected to track everything you do including your LUNCH! - Lots and lots and lots of turnover (44+ pages of past employees on LinkedIn) - They don't value their employees, skillsets or experience - Their company values are complete BS - The managing partner is an egotistical maniac

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Directive Response
1y
Thank you for sharing your experience. No one wants to feel like they’re being micro-managed, or lack the autonomy to do their best work. As a remote-first company, our ways of working are foundationally built on trusting employees to self-manage their tasks, calendars, and schedules. As a current employee, I hope that you feel comfortable reaching out (even confidentially) to a member of the Employee Experience or HR teams. We’re here to help, and we care about you and your experience.
1.0
May 8, 2024

DO NOT WORK HERE!!!

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Joining Directive was a decision driven by my desire to dive deep into B2B performance marketing and broaden my experience with diverse client bases. On these fronts, Directive does not disappoint. The team is comprised of highly intelligent individuals, and the exposure to different facets of digital marketing is genuinely unparalleled. If you're keen to expand your knowledge in this field, there's no doubt you'll learn a lot here.

Cons

Trust the reviews. While it may seem like they come from disgruntled former employees, these are genuine accounts from individuals who have truly experienced what it's like to work at Directive. When I joined Directive, I was eager to take on new challenges and grow in my career. Unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected and I think it's important for potential employees to understand what they might be getting into. From the outset, the impact on my mental well-being was significant. The company culture is dominated by a leadership team that desperately needs to improve their skills in managing and motivating people. Their approach can be disheartening and does little to encourage team confidence or morale. The biggest concern for any new hire should be the onboarding process. It’s treated like a test you must pass, and not everyone does. If you don’t make the cut, you’re out, with little to no consideration of the potential you might have shown. This ‘sink or swim’ approach is harsh, especially for those who have left stable jobs in the hope of building a future at Directive. Honestly, if you're considering a position here, my advice would be to look elsewhere. Even in desperate times, a job that leaves you constantly on edge and unsure about your future is not worth it. There are better companies out there that will value you and the skills you bring to the table.

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Directive Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your review. We consistently hear our employees praise the professional growth they’ve experienced while working at Directive, mostly credited to their amazing peers and the clients they get to work with. In response to feedback that we received from our team, we developed and launched our comprehensive new employee onboarding curriculum last year. This program was designed to ensure all our new employees are able to deliver the same incredible quality of service our existing team members have established as our standard. Our onboarding allows our newest employees the opportunity to learn and practice our ways of working and methodologies in a mock-client environment, where they receive coaching and guidance from our onboarding team and their direct manager, and multiple opportunities to redo assignments and apply any feedback they’ve received. Since launching this onboarding program last year, we’ve seen significant improvements in the consistency of work across our teams, as well as improvements to our client satisfaction and retention numbers. If you have any further concerns or questions, please reach out to a member of our People Operations team so we can help, or respond to this comment through Glassdoor for anonymous support.
1.0
Mar 6, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They have lucked out with their strategists; these people are absolute rockstars, well-versed in their subject areas. However, these individuals are priced out of the market due to their compensation, making it very difficult for them to move to another role.

Cons

Leadership This is the worst leadership experience anyone could ever have. Having worked in so many different verticals for years, I can confidently say that nothing beats the sheer incompetence and lack of character of this so-called executive leadership team. It starts with some leaders who have been in the same place for so long, out of touch with reality and general labor trends, trying hard to act like know-it-all, be-it-all types. It’s topped off with some senior female leaders who are the epitome of manipulation, favoritism, and micromanagement. The most pathetic I have ever experienced. I think it stems from a place of great insecurity, seeing others who are capable and knowledgeable. Feeling threatened, they move toward treating these people most disrespectfully, whether it's publicly humiliating them, gaslighting them, or even going to the lengths of trying to make life so miserable through omission that people leave without even finding a job. Honestly speaking, they must be leading quite miserable lives to attach so much value to a position like this and then go to these lengths to defend being in these roles. Culture Fear is their go-to tool for everything. They don't treat people with respect or understand that every person is a human being trying to get through life and responsibilities. When I say "fear," this isn't just the type where people get yelled at or spoken to in filth (though that has happened in the past; some have shared those colorful experiences as well). This goes beyond that, where people will talk nicely to your face and make you feel heard and cared for, and then privately mock you or talk negatively about you while trying to outshine you. And the so-called leaders love these types of people because those are the very bootlickers they love to keep close and promote over time. Gaslighting This place is a great example of how someone can eat into your very soul and erode every part of your creativity and positivity, making you second-guess every single decision. It's deeply rooted in the fearmongering culture they have, and the leaders love to abide by this. Onboarding Program While I understand the optics of needing to have this type of program for people so they can learn the methodology and do their role well, they go beyond that and make it into a paid test where people are put through extreme levels of pressure to jump through a series of exams that you need to pass to secure your employment, failing which you will be terminated. I think they've figured out a legal loophole to exploit people this way because there's a lot at stake for anyone joining a new company. I have seen so many people come and go who previously had great job security and who have families to feed, and then leave feeling demoralized, with their confidence broken because of this practice. It is quite detrimental to anyone's mental health or career; these people are so distant from the sheer, hard-working reality of the world. I wish people would report these types of practices and make it illegal to practice them. Extortion For anyone hoping to join, here's what you need to know: They know that the job market is hard right now and that the package and compensation they offer are pretty attractive, so they are counting on you to make that deal with Satan and sell your soul. They even sometimes strong-arm people to get them to do more work by adding more accounts, simply knowing that, given their circumstances, they won't be able to walk away. So, anyone reading this, there's 100% truth in all 100-odd reviews here. Be wary of the extremely positive ones because those are the targeted ones coming from the bootlickers and the so-called incompetent leaders, just so that this mockery and modern-day slavery can continue. If you haven't yet signed your contract, or you are doing your due diligence for a friend or yourself, learn from others' mistakes and make smart choices. Think of it as all of these people have done a solid for you so you don't have to go through this pain.

Viewing 124 - 126 of 151 Reviews

Glassdoor has 164 Directive reviews submitted anonymously by Directive employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Directive is right for you.