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      Future

      Engaged Employer

      Future reviews

      3.2

      44% would recommend to a friend

      (714 total reviews)

      Kevin Li Ying

      60% approve of CEO

      36% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Future has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 714 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Future employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      714 reviews
      1.0
      Jul 9, 2020

      Future does not value employees

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Individual employees are extremely talented and smart. Personally accomplished very creative work on a very limited budget. Week off between Christmas and New Year's is nice. Free bagel on Fridays.

      Cons

      Regularly pushing a "people are our priority" message to staff and then laying off entire departments at the slightest threat of losing a few dollars is not a good look. NYC office is a loud open-plan hive, akin to a school lunchroom. Workers trying to get anything done need to wear headphones, some even walk around the office with them on. There are exactly two phone booths in which you can take a private call; they are always occupied. The overcrowding comes from Future buying other companies then cramming them into a space too small even for the amount of people already there. To "fix" this, they shuffle employees around the office every few weeks and then abruptly eliminate positions. Management asks for input in the form of surveys yet doesn't actually take that in, so they still make very poor decisions. Only later after the decision is implemented do they realize it was the wrong move and attempt to fix it. Future does not value employees: Pay is less than market rate. Will not consider raises even when presented with a proven case for an increase or salary comparisons. While individuals are talented and go above and beyond, appreciation for that is rarely shown and there is little to no incentive to stay, leading to high turnover. On top of that, there is zero job security even if you're great at what you do. Was told multiple times "if you're not happy here, leave" by managers, HR, and the CEO; not sure what world they're living in where that's the easiest option. Felt belittling and left me wondering how adept they can be at leading others if they're not considering what those less privileged have to deal with.

      avatar
      Future Response
      6y
      Our NYC office is a large, frenetic open space with not a lot of room to go an be private or quiet, that much is absolutely true. Headphones are without a doubt your best friend in that space. But to suggest we eliminate positions at random to address noise and chaos is absurd on its face, and I think you know better. It's unfortunate you never felt like the management surveys benefitted you in any way, but the hours that went into observing those reports and creating plans to address the many concerns from our co-workers was very real. And those changes are being implemented even now, while everyone is quarantined. Speaking of, the suggestion that we laid off entire departments because of a slight threat is just plain wrong. Future made some tough decisions to furlough colleagues in departments where it wasn't possible to sustain a business during COVID-19. We've been in the process of returning many of those people to work as time has allowed, and doing so carefully has minimized the impact on all of our staff. Nobody should ever be made to feel belittled at work, and for you to have experienced that was most assuredly not the intent of anyone who talked with you. At the same time, Future does operate at a very specific pace and there's a certain kind of person who thrives in that environment. That in no way means you should have been made to feel like you needed to move on, but hopefully wherever you land next works out.
      2.0
      Jun 24, 2020

      Rat Race

      Ad operations
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Nice People on the team, The physical office is nice and in a good location.

      Cons

      The company is undergoing a messy acquisition with upper management either unwilling to fix or unaware of the systemic changes that need to me made for the company to function well. They quickly move on to the next acquisition before getting things right. Unlimited PTO but don't plan on enjoying it - you will be worrying about what headaches will bubble up when you return - even for a day. There is a lot of lip service about taking care of yourself but ultimately that is all it is. To sum it up this place is a rat race and all of the frustrations that come along with being dysfunctional will come back to you.

      avatar
      Future Response
      6y
      Your frustration regarding a large acquisition is entirely understandable. Change is hard, and no one here would say we get it perfect every time. But we absolutely learn and make a consistent effort to improve based on lessons learned with every change. Our People & Culture team has been working overtime to ensure managers have the right tools to make sure the people on their teams feel they have room to grow and feel they're valued, not to mention a massive new training program so everyone who joins our team is able to quickly and effectively be a part of the team they are assigned. It doesn't seem like these changes reached you in time for you to feel like you were appropriately valued, and that's deeply unfortunate. On behalf of Future, I wish you well on your next adventure.
      4.0
      Jun 22, 2020

      Amazing, Smart People, but Zero Job Security

      Staff writer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      One thing that Future is amazing at is hiring smart, intelligent, innovative, well-rounded, friendly people who are a perfect culture fit with the company. I don't really feel that there are any cliques. Everyone is open-minded and welcoming of people who are unique individuals. You'll never feel left out. Ideas were welcomed. There's no micromanagement. There's plenty of socializing events, even amid COVID-19 with virtual happy hours. There's also amazing work/life balance thanks to unlimited vacation. And even before COVID-19, there were opportunities to work from home. Future plc employees are also excellent problem solvers -- if any adversity/obstacles pop up, they can come up with a solution with a snap of their fingers and it's really admirable/impressive to watch. The transition from office to work-from-home was so smooth and so seamless, thanks to excellent leadership at the top.

      Cons

      - You're not going to get job security here at Future plc. You simply won't. Your job is on the line -- no matter how amazing you are. I've watched Future lay off top-tier, talented, well-respected individuals to cut costs. And it just makes you feel hopeless 'cause you start to realize that even if you're top-performing employee who brings results, you can still get the boot. You're constantly worried about if you're next. It brings the company morale down and reduces productivity 'cause teams are realizing that, even with increased motivation, there's no reward. - Future plc seems to be splurging on purchasing a shitton of (low return-of-investment) magazines for their portfolio instead of reinvesting that money into the subsidiaries they already have. - Teams are understaffed, so sometimes, you can find yourself working 9 to 5, working at night, working on the weekends to get the pile of tasks off your plate. It really sucks. - Future plc has gotten rid of certain teams that, due to their departure, hours and hours of extra work have been put on our backs, leaving us even less time to put out our best quality work and no raises are offered for the extra layer of work.

      avatar
      Future Response
      6y
      First off, thank you for being so incredibly thorough. You clearly had a lot to say here, and your opinions and details are appreciated. Future is in the middle of a challenging situation, having initiated a massive acquisition before an unprecedented global pandemic. Every team across the company reduced in size to adapt to the rapid economy change while also working out the extremely complicated details associated with an acquisition. It's easy to see these two things happening side by side, while feeling the added stress of your workload increasing, and be upset. Leadership made a decision based on the knowledge that these new colleagues and their properties would, long term, make Future significantly bigger and better once we're all on the other side of this pandemic. It's understandably frustrating to see these short term difficulties and not fully appreciate the longer term strategy because you're being worked quite hard right now. Please know your feedback is not only well received, but thoroughly considered as we adapt to this complex environment we call currently find ourselves in.
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