Kantar reviews

Where to start? This year has seen a mass exodus of talent. Senior management seems to shift focus every year and is really great at buzzwords, but regularly makes what seem like really questionable decisions in terms of direction for the company (which could best be described as non-existent). The company is obsessively sales focused with an eye towards hitting numbers that seem preposterous. You're regularly told that you're not hitting numbers. It's like being in a basketball game and being criticized because every player didn't get a triple double every single game. The company is owned by global behemoth WPP. IT and HR are outsourced so good luck getting help with a computer problem or an answer about an HR issue. The New York office is downright predatory with an open office plan that has senior management in a ring surrounding lower employees. The office is loud to a ridiculous degree. Good luck focusing on anything. Chapel Hill is much the same way, though less awful. A year or so we acquired a company out of Chicago and they have become a third office. This office at least has cubes. I've spent a little time there and the culture seems more relaxed, though the vibe I got is that senior management is rapidly sucking the life out of the place as well. Salaries aren't great or competitive. Raises are minimal to non-existent. Good luck moving up. Everyone who cares to and is competent realizes this and leaves. Positions are regularly back-filled. Someone leaves...they're probably not getting replaced. The work is just getting dumped elsewhere.

The main issue is compensation. Compared to other firms, Kantar is very weak in terms of being able to offer competitive salaries, bonuses, and benefits. Work-life balance can be a drag at times (on busy weeks I'll work ~50 hours), but generally, it's not so bad as long as you're mentally prepared for it.