I give this place ~2 years before it falls apart - Anonymous employee Kantar Employee Review

1.0
Jul 5, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Camaraderie among junior team. Subsidized booze... etc. Quick promotions but then when you leave the titles aren't transferable, in part because we aren't promoted based on experience but on how much the partners like us. That said you can rise through the ranks absurdly quickly if you put in the time... but then you're a director in your mid-20s at some third-rate "brand consultancy" (market research firm) that no one's ever heard of and you're not even making that much money.

Cons

The partners have no prior industry or consulting experience and as a result are truly incompetent. The clients don't respect us and use us to create massive decks with typically limited internal impact. Our junior clients will take a few of our data points and share with senior leadership, but we are not usually in the room for any real marketing organization's senior meetings. Sexual harassment is a very common occurrence. Every female employee has a story... as do most of the males. The hours are crazy, which is normal for consulting and what most of us signed up for--but the pay is far below industry standard and the work is very poor because again: the partners are clueless. Unhealthy culture where partners find it acceptable to comment on their employees' looks, clothing, wealth. Heavy drug culture as well.

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5.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice company to work for

Cons

Pay could be better for this role

2.0
Jul 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Kantar has talented employees, well-known clients, and strong research capabilities. I had the opportunity to work with knowledgeable colleagues, contribute to major accounts, support internal initiatives, promote the brand, and share expertise across teams. There are many people inside the company who genuinely care about the work and try to help others succeed.

Cons

My experience was ultimately overshadowed by what appeared to be deep favoritism, inconsistent leadership decisions, and a serious lack of transparency. Employees with decades of experience, strong performance records, valuable client relationships, and critical institutional knowledge were laid off in the name of profitability. At the same time, the company continued hiring new people into the same or very similar positions. This makes the claim of role elimination or cost reduction difficult to take seriously. It was particularly disturbing to see highly experienced employees removed, only for the business to spend money recruiting and training replacements to perform work that clearly still existed. In some cases, former employees or people with close relationships to leaders appeared to be brought back, promoted, or placed into stronger positions. This created a clear impression that personal relationships and internal connections could matter more than performance, loyalty, expertise, or contribution. Strong performers who consistently volunteered for initiatives, promoted Kantar’s brand and tools, shared knowledge, supported important client work, and went beyond their job descriptions were still treated as expendable. Remote employees and people from diverse backgrounds also appeared to be disproportionately affected. The overall message to employees was damaging: performance may not protect you, loyalty may not matter, and institutional knowledge can be discarded while leadership continues hiring elsewhere. This destroys trust, weakens morale, and sends the wrong signal to employees who are still expected to give their best.

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