Probably my worst career decision - SAE Zeno Group Employee Review

1.0
Jun 3, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

My impression of the company at large was that they have an enthusiastic senior leadership team and a unified culture that employees seem excited about. They have more resources (an extremely talented design team, data analysis teams) than your average agency. Which, in my experience, usually operates like a bag of cats.

Cons

The minimal pros aside - wow. I was in and out of this place in three months. They recruited me out of my old agency to specialize in a specific marketing area, boasting their work life balance and trust in my experience. Within the first week I knew this place wasn't for me. Besides the fact that I was quickly beaten over the head about who to hate based on how people voted in elections (hello - HR?), I was doing nothing my previous six years indicated I had experience in. I received zero training outside of the HR orientation. It was either immediately familiarize myself with the 1000 nuances of operating in my department or be reprimanded. Felt very much like I was brought in to be a scapegoat. There was a million and one tasks to be done with no work life balance at all, no accountability plans in place due to minimal staff and low bandwidth, and when things eventually slipped through the cracks, they were outraged. Never got a second of encouragement or protection from HR. It's a cliquey cesspool of pettiness. Stay far, far away. It might have a shiny coat of paint slapped on it, but this is an agency through and through.

Explore other reviews about Zeno Group

5.0
Mar 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Supportive manager, great work environment. Good work life balance which is not common in medium-large agencies. Highly recommend for interns.

Cons

Has the expectation to handle office administrative tasks which were not included in the JD.

2.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good foundational PR experience with opportunity to work on cool brands and focus on specific areas of business. There's great work in the pipeline and senior leadership is laying the groundwork for expanded capabilities across practices. Plenty of learning and development opportunities throughout tenure and internal tools to grow professional skills.

Cons

Terrible work culture and some middle managers who are self-concerned/not invested in supporting young talent. Junior employees are overworked and underpaid. Did not feel set up for success in my role and felt there was a lot of favoritism within the company.

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