Everything is dependent on your “utilization” which is the number of hours you’re expected to bill this week. If you don’t meet that goal consistently every month, you will definitely be fired as seen in the last round of layoffs. Billing hours is expected on top of being expected to work on new business, managing employees, and all sorts of admin work that exists at any job. The worst thing here though is the people. Some of the nastiest personalities that are the true stereotype of PR professionals. Catty behavior, lots of egos, internal politics and leadership that doesn’t step in because everyone is so siloed on accounts. The office space in NY is pretty bad, and you can rarely find a room to take calls privately since everything is open work floor. But still a demand to be in the office at least three days. Merit increases are a joke, with 1% increases and maybe 2% bonus. You should expect to stay at the base salary you come in with for the duration of your time here. Edelman has done two rounds of layoffs in 2023 with more expected. Not a good place to be. No growth for the firm and falling short of business goals because they overcharge clients and underdeliver on work. Health insurance is a subpar - high fees of around $200 per paycheck. Many other agencies and firms that have smarter talent and better cultures. I’ve been at a few media agencies and this is hands down the worst place.
