Great experience until you plateau - Senior Account Manager Kantar Employee Review

4.0
Dec 22, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- As another reviewer mentioned on the GMI page, there is no longer a new idea every week and initiatives are clearly communicated throughout the company. - The people are 2nd to none, and usually the reason a lot of people stay around so long given the collegiate, supportive atmosphere and understanding from management of work/life balancing. - Start off new employees and junior employees with good base salary and great benefits as they are a part of Kantar/Lightspeed (WPP) who can leverage their size with insurance companies. - They continue to update and invest in their technology, as well as decentralize their knowledge base from people/documents to a digital library allowing for a better flow of information.

Cons

- On the flip side, management still holds onto ideas that languish or are shown no demand for in the market place which can hamper the ability to innovate further. - Top management seems to be involved in every little decision, and seems to stifle turnaround on key initiatives. - Talent acquisition there can be hit or miss, as in the past most did not come from even a marketing background so the support necessarily wasn't there; it is getting better though as college programs bolster MR related courses. - Salaries can get stalled after awhile with paltry raises while bonuses have dropped off after merging with Kantar/Lightspeed - They still constantly lose top talent in every department (sales, acct management, IT, etc.) due to their lack of compensation over time as well as lack of professional development and opportunities to advance; it's not uncommon for most younger employees to leave after 3-5 years as they plateau when management does not proactively try to employ some sort of development plan.

Explore other reviews about Kantar

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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