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      Thesis

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      Thesis reviews

      2.4

      24% would recommend to a friend

      (123 total reviews)

      Keely York

      14% approve of CEO

      24% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.2

      Work/Life balance

      2.8

      Diversity & inclusion

      2.8

      Compensation and benefits

      2.6

      Culture & values

      2.2

      Career opportunities

      2.1

      Senior management

      Thesis has an employee rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars, based on 123 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Thesis employee rating is 35% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      123 reviews
      1.0
      Jun 19, 2025

      'If you don't want to be here then leave' - Easiest decision of my life

      Project manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      - Pay is alright for Portland, Oregon. - It could be a good way to get your foot in the door at Nike if you want to work there. - Misery loves company

      Cons

      I was with Thesis for 2.5 years so I had been there for long enough to get a good read of the company. During that time, I lost track of the number of lay-offs; it must have been around 3 or 4. All staff/town hall meetings were grueling. The CEO would openly yell and chastise the employees as if we were children. So many times it was 'If you don't want to be here, then leave,' which I guess is true, which is why so many people ended up leaving without having jobs lined up, but there were others who couldn't be so fortunate. The C-Level was a clicky group that was very out of touch with the actual happenings of the company. Some of them seem qualified, but the highest-ranking ones had been with the company from day 1, so they just moved to executive positions without having executive experience. It was very evident in how they acted and the few decisions they shared with us, I hope that beautiful building can get to 50% capacity someday. The real victims were the remote employees. They were remote for years, and then one day (After many layoffs and millions invested into a building in NW Portland), they were told to relocate or resign (I imagine this was done this way so they would not have to pay unemployment). They were given a week or 2 to come to a decision and were given a small stipend for the move. A person I didn't know personally agreed to relocate, and they were based on the East Coast. A week before they were set to relocate, they were laid off. Now they have a one-way ticket to Portland and no employer. Your performance does not impact how you are treated. I saw 2 different employees with fine reviews and had really good client relations. Then one day they were gone, just like that. I believe there was some friction with them and their Thesis supervisor so they got the boot. The work and performance were not the issue; it was a relationship/personality issue.

      2.0
      Jun 17, 2025

      Great People, Abysmal Leadership

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Teams across all accounts and disciplines are amazing; seldom do I run into someone at Thesis who isn’t capable of great work. Accounts are interesting and diverse. The building is beautiful and easy to navigate. Lots of snacks and barista 24/7.

      Cons

      Leadership doesn’t listen to any outside opinions and the CEO fires and demotes at random. Seems like CEO is sensitive to criticism and won’t tolerate it inside the executive team. Layoffs are constant and not always related to financial state of the company. The most recent one was “directional” but they really just used the opportunity to get rid of essential teammates that had been openly questioning of the direction of things. Arguably retaliatory layoff practices. Opportunities are made superficially, usually because someone dresses cool or has made friends around the office. Many hardworking and talented employees are stuck working on the same work forever because management doesn’t take interest in them.

      1.0
      Jun 13, 2025

      Disapointed

      Account supervisor
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      I worked at Thesis in many capacities during my close to 4 years of employement. I started "in-house" as a Sr. Strategist for one year before the account plummeted and I pivoted over to the Nike "embedded" account (AKA working from Beaverton WHQ for 3 years). Additionally, I was the Board Chair of the Thesis Foundation, the company's non-profit arm, where I managed $100K in grants during my tenure, plus board meetings and events. Through the ups and downs of near constant layoffs, policy changes and general agency-life drama, I enjoyed my time and remained optimistic. I met amazingly talented, smart folks who cared about the work they were doing. That being said, I built a slow distrust towards leadership after recurring lash-outs and seemingly rash decision making. This distrust was solidified when I was suddenly fired without cause in March 2025. To be as transparent as possible, the reason for termination I was given was "A pattern of negative feedback from clients," which simply isn't true - it is Thesis policy for employees to sign & acknowledge our quarterly reviews - none of which detailed negative feedback. When I asked for proof, the HR team was only able to provide my reviews from 2024 onward (I was at the company since 2021). All this to say, I have zero respect for how Leadership handled my dismissal. I had positive relationships with several Director level folks who I never heard from again, and who obviously didn't think twice about letting me go, even after going above and beyond with my "extra credit" Foundation work (that work is not explicitly paid). I feel extremely disrespected by the Thesis organization as a whole and would not recommend anyone to work there.

      Cons

      As a people manager, I oversaw three direct reports, all Junior-level Producers who struggled to advance in their roles and be seen by leadership. I did everything I could to support their efforts, and was constantly gaslit and talked down to. Our Account Director had the audacity to give each of my direct reports the book, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a [blank]" when they expressed interest in learning and growing. Since leaving Thesis, I've learned that the embedded account had several benefits stripped without the ability to renegotiate wages. For example, Thesis will no longer support their Professional Development budget and PTO hours were heavily reduced. When I was first hired in 2021, diversity was a huge priority and topic of conversation. Slowly over the years, many POC were quietly let go employee resource groups were villainized.

      Viewing 13 - 15 of 123 Reviews
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      Glassdoor has 131 Thesis reviews submitted anonymously by Thesis employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Thesis is right for you.