Great benefits but shady management - Anonymous employee Monks Employee Review

1.0
May 15, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits such as working from home, unlimited time off, HRA, and additional training.

Cons

Beware of the above when applying and accepting . They’ll lure you in with a great package and impressive benefits. Don’t jump too quick. Work- the work is fine. Nothing extraordinary. There was a bait and switch with what they told me I would be doing and what I was actually doing. During the interview no one actually knew what the role would actually do. Training - better come prepared to train yourself. There are 100s of clients and each client uses their own tools so no one person knows how to use everything. When teaching yourself the platforms and you have questions you’ll be tossed from person to person getting little to no help. Work/life - they claim to be very supportive of this so you don’t burnout. However, in order to get the job done, you can’t stay within the regular 40-50 hours a week. I worked many weeks at over 50. Clients - some impressive clients but management will move around people mid contract and leave them high and dry or scrambling for coverage. Opportunities-not great. They are very candid about moving up and moving assignments but in reality that process is extremely messy and biased. They’ll absolutely screw over someone more deserving if the move is more convenient for them. You can’t get feedback from your clients so they have to provide feedback to your supervisor who then telephones that feedback to you but has no context or example. Interview process - absolutely ridiculous. No one could clearly tell me what my role would be doing. There was also 6 rounds of interviews which was extremely unnecessary. Overall they did some shady dealings. There was an opportunity to move up but rather than open up the promotion to that department they took the word of one supervisor (who was leaving), didn’t conduct interviews, nor reviewed resumes. There were many employees there longer who didn’t even get a chance to advocate for themselves. Ultimately I was let go. I was not given any warning or grace period to collect my things, request letters of recs, or compile a portfolio together. I was called into the meeting on a Friday under the notion that management wanted to hear more about my current projects and discuss other opportunities at the company.

Explore other reviews about Monks

5.0
Jun 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It's been such a pleasure, joy and fresh air to work here. I'm respected, as is my work life balance.

Cons

Leadership hasn't always been consistent with their words and actions, making it feel scary and tumultuous at times.

2.0
Jul 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

At the time I came on board, EPs were paid well. There are good departments there, like the post department run by Andrew Bell.

Cons

I was interviewed for a staff EP role. After months of interviewing and scheduling delays, I was a final candidate...and then Monks had a hiring freeze and loads of layoffs. It was weeks later they said I should come in as a contract EP. Then, they promised a client something they've never delivered before, and I was lucky to be the person on the team who had actually done it before. But Monks gets in their own way, with antiquated agency hierarchy. Account Managers and Creative Directors are given great governance even if they don't know how to do the job. They disregard production, as if EPs are out to undermine them. They believe EPs are now allowed to be the creative leads, even if they don't have skill or experience to do their own job. There are no thank you's when you save them or solve their problems. Upper Management is useless and absent. You have to sort out how to get things done. Onboarding is non existing. No recognition is given to those who actually did the work, because Monks execs will take it as their own, even if they were absent throughout the entire campaign. Essentially, the main reason why it's a turnstile with layoffs and quitting (even today in 2026) is due to lack of organization, respect and kindness. Even the recruiters are awol and out to lunch. They can't be bothered to return calls. Clients seem unaware, which is another issue because somehow Monks continues to get client work despite the internal turmoil. Inside there is favoritism, clique behaviour, overabundance of bureaucratic unnecessary systems and management hires that are ill equipped to lead...especially at the very top. Kids deal with clients. Elders are those who never really mastered good leadership. It was a very disappointing run with Monks, and many former employees and contractors still have a bad taste from their time spent there, including me.

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