Ogilvy PR in DC = Understaffed, overworked, absent leadership, rock bottom morale
Pros
Ogilvy's legacy draws talent and appeals prospective clients. Decent pay and benefits. Nice office space in a good location in DC.
Cons
Unfortunately, the Washington, DC office is an afterthought in the Ogilvy network. It's like we don't exist. The office is understaffed (be prepared to wear multiple hats and do the work of 2-3 people), overworked (long evenings and weekends), underappreciated (no bonuses or recognition) and underfunded (lack of training and tools). The morale is rock bottom. The 3 group heads cannot agree on how to function. Little to no collaboration across teams. There's no HR left in the office (hasn't been for nearly a year now). We share an HR resource with another Ogilvy PR office on the west coast and needless to say it's impossible to connect. It's a never ending staff exodus each year. We can't retain good talent. The office space is about 60-70% empty (so depressing). Leadership is nowhere to be found (I literally haven't seen our CEO in over a year). Business is pursued and won with nobody to do the work. Everyone here is looking for a job (including at least 2 of the group heads). And now with recent WPP headlines, things are only going to get worse. I will not be here in a month or two and I would seriously caution anybody looking to join Ogilvy at this point, especially the DC office. It's very sad.
