What is the hiring process like at 2X?

- hybrid work setup - you’ll get a great team to work with (if you’re lucky) - free coffee and food (read biscuits)

Honestly, the way this place is run is just frustrating. They keep hiring new people but don’t seem to care about keeping the ones who actually know what they’re doing. It makes no sense, why let go of experienced employees just to bring in new ones who have no clue how things work? The hiring process is all over the place, with no proper background checks or filtering, so sometimes completely unqualified people get in. And don’t expect recognition for your hard work. There are NO BONUS, no real appreciation, just more work. They love to show off how much revenue is growing, but none of that ever makes its way to the employees. It’s frustrating to put in effort day after day and see nothing in return. To make things worse, if you ever have issues with a client/team, reporting it to management is pointless. Instead of helping, they’ll just turn it back on you like it’s your fault. There’s no real support system, you’re on your own.

The only pros for this company are the fact that it is quite easy to get hired.

This was the most disappointing and odd excuse for a 'professional' company that I have ever worked for. There is obvious favoritism at play; the dysfunctional politics going on at every level is embarrassing. People are promoted based on how much a manager likes you, not how qualified you are for the job. Many qualified employees have left and many more are looking.

Hybrid work mode. You’re require to go to the office twice a week.

Racism among certain senior managers. Unclear promotional path structure. You’re more likely to be promoted if you’re a favorite among the upper management. False promises during hiring process

2 days clock in office i guess

Gosh.. Seriously! A significant area of concern is the absence of a transparent and consistent staff assessment policy. Without clear performance metrics and expectations, employees find it challenging to understand how their work contributes to the company's goals. This lack of clarity creates a demotivating work environment where career growth and advancement opportunities seem unclear. Regular feedback and performance reviews are essential for employee development, but without a structured system in place, it's difficult to identify strengths, weaknesses, or areas for improvement. It is crucial for the company to establish a fair and equitable performance evaluation process to foster employee engagement and retention.

Good exposure for budding marketers due to the international clients, and the opportunity to work with great teams if you're lucky. The ability to WFH 3 times a week is pretty great. For the remaining 2 days you'll have to be in the office, though there are no set hours for this (yet). The pros really depend on your manager and client teams. If you're assigned to work with great people who are aligned to create great work without wasting time, you'll have a great time.

When you first join 2X and later join new clients, there's a very strict onboarding process to help you understand how to write. For more senior writers, this process is too long and doesn't end up being very helpful in the long run as it rarely touches on important processes you need to work as a team. They'll deny it, but the work culture is also very siloed. Depending on your client, you're either only executing poorly written briefs or you're overloaded with work beyond your job scope, without clear guidance on how to do any of it. The work gets very repetitive and without proper guidance, it's very unclear how they expect you to grow. A lot of the work doesn't allow for much creativity either, which can be disheartening. The hierarchy is also quite confusing, and it can be unclear who to go to for different problems. For the most part, HR is also quite unresponsive. For the most part, it seems 2X is looking for people who will simply comply with orders. I've seen talented marketers get pushed out or ignored for questioning the status quo or pointing out redundancies. I probably would have enjoyed working here more when I was fresh out of university but as a mid-level writer, I have more frustrations than anything else.

Great colleagues. Lots to learn from our clients and peers but definitely not the people up on the pedestals.

It's difficult to fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes. The company is expanding rapidly, hiring new people at a fast pace. However, support hasn't kept up with this growth. There simply aren't enough managers and directors on the ground to handle the increasing number of accounts. The pressure is being placed on the employees, and they seem willing to lose the good ones—many of whom have already left. It’s not surprising that one of the founders decided to walk away. For those working at 2X, you might be familiar with the general attitude. The principal of operations tends to keep underperforming employees due to understaffing, and there’s a troubling figure head in the design department, one who has earned a negative reputation as a predator. Recently, several C-level executives have been hired, only to be let go after a short time. For example, the new CPO hired in Q2 of 2024 has barely interacted with the company’s staff. In fact, she only spoke once during her tenure, at a town hall event, where her role seemed more like an event host than a leader. How can a chief people officer, whose role is meant to prioritize employee communication, remain so disconnected from the workforce? With over 700 employees in Malaysia, it’s odd that this person is based in the U.S., overseeing just a small team of 20-30. A performance management system is on the horizon, but it’s unclear whether it will actually address the concerns employees are facing. In the meantime, 2X is probably paying around $200k per year to the said CPO for a high-level project that take a year to complete. Imagine if that amount was distributed more evenly among the rest of the workforce—it could make a real difference. 2X likes to tout its impressive year-over-year growth, often pointing to its appearance on the Inc 5000 list and claiming to double revenue annually. But for all the growth, there’s not even a 13th-month bonus, and the historical 70% bonus payout seem like a distant memory. It’s hard to ignore that the company has only grown because of the efforts of its employees, yet they receive little in return. There's no training, no real financial rewards, and employees are left with the message that having a job should be enough to be grateful for. Without proper rewards, it’s tough to keep celebrating this “success.” And what do employees get in return for their hard work? An annual dinner where not everyone can even attend. Even an event that costs just $50 USD per person isn’t given to all who have contributed to the company’s success. Instead, there's a waiting list, hoping that some people won’t show up so others can take their place. It’s a poor reflection of how the company values the people who help make it what it is.

• Competitive basic salary and benefits, especially for professionals with less than two years of experience • Company-provided laptop and equipment (Dell) • Prior to the acquisition, the culture encouraged healthy communication and client-focused performance

I joined StraightArrow Corporation prior to its full acquisition by 2X. During the earlier period, company culture was one of its strongest assets — communication was open, client feedback was valued, and growth opportunities felt transparent. After the acquisition was finalized, I personally experienced significant changes in culture and structure. There appeared to be large-scale hiring followed by periods where employees were underutilized, which eventually led to layoffs. From my perspective, workforce planning and client acquisition efforts did not seem aligned, creating instability within teams. I also observed increasing tension between regional teams, particularly between Kuala Lumpur and Manila, which affected collaboration and morale. Concerns around favoritism in promotions and performance evaluations became common discussions among employees. Some high-performing team members were categorized as low performers without what felt like clear or consistent justification, impacting trust in leadership decisions. Career progression felt less transparent compared to the earlier structure. Merit increases and promotions appeared inconsistent, and communication around advancement criteria was limited. Cost-cutting measures were noticeable in employee-facing initiatives. While some company events were still organized, they felt scaled down compared to previous years. Benefits and perks that were once offered to employees outside Luzon were no longer available. Work-life balance was also a challenge. Overtime work was common, particularly when managing client expectations, and clearer boundaries might have helped reduce burnout. Overall, the environment shifted from one that felt collaborative and growth-oriented to one that felt uncertain and high-pressure. For me personally, the stress outweighed the compensation. Footnote: This was rewritten since my previous attempts were being removed.

Great colleagues. Lots to learn from our clients and peers but definitely not the people up on the pedestals.

It's difficult to fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes. The company is expanding rapidly, hiring new people at a fast pace. However, support hasn't kept up with this growth. There simply aren't enough managers and directors on the ground to handle the increasing number of accounts. The pressure is being placed on the employees, and they seem willing to lose the good ones—many of whom have already left. It’s not surprising that one of the founders decided to walk away. For those working at 2X, you might be familiar with the general attitude. The principal of operations tends to keep underperforming employees due to understaffing, and there’s a troubling figure head in the design department, one who has earned a negative reputation as a predator. Recently, several C-level executives have been hired, only to be let go after a short time. For example, the new CPO hired in Q2 of 2024 has barely interacted with the company’s staff. In fact, she only spoke once during her tenure, at a town hall event, where her role seemed more like an event host than a leader. How can a chief people officer, whose role is meant to prioritize employee communication, remain so disconnected from the workforce? With over 700 employees in Malaysia, it’s odd that this person is based in the U.S., overseeing just a small team of 20-30. A performance management system is on the horizon, but it’s unclear whether it will actually address the concerns employees are facing. In the meantime, 2X is probably paying around $200k per year to the said CPO for a high-level project that take a year to complete. Imagine if that amount was distributed more evenly among the rest of the workforce—it could make a real difference. 2X likes to tout its impressive year-over-year growth, often pointing to its appearance on the Inc 5000 list and claiming to double revenue annually. But for all the growth, there’s not even a 13th-month bonus, and the historical 70% bonus payout seem like a distant memory. It’s hard to ignore that the company has only grown because of the efforts of its employees, yet they receive little in return. There's no training, no real financial rewards, and employees are left with the message that having a job should be enough to be grateful for. Without proper rewards, it’s tough to keep celebrating this “success.” And what do employees get in return for their hard work? An annual dinner where not everyone can even attend. Even an event that costs just $50 USD per person isn’t given to all who have contributed to the company’s success. Instead, there's a waiting list, hoping that some people won’t show up so others can take their place. It’s a poor reflection of how the company values the people who help make it what it is.

- Great colleagues who are willing to teach and share - Full flexibility of working hours - Hybrid work arrangement - Possibility of full remote work - Nice office and good location - Increment every year for the past 3 years - Good medical benefits

- Hidden bias/favoritism in promotions - No bonus for years, even when the company is growing - The new bonus scheme seems like an excuse not to pay a bonus - Working at night a few times a week - Management and sales teams in the US are disconnected from the realities in Malaysia - Random hiring, someone 10 years your junior can be your "boss" or at the same level as you are

Flexible work arrangement - 3 days WFH and 2 day in Monthly team lunch Accessible office area

1) Expect 12+ hours working non stop to be normal - These guys would scrutiny the heck out of you if you are even slightly underutilize or on bench hours. But no one gives a damn if you overwork, experiencing burnout, or complain about your overloaded workload, even worst that is heavily expected of you. Direct manager and senior manager who's supposed to manage and help when you raise concerns? Forget that, nothing will ever happen. All talk but no show. Project managers (CDD, AD, MPC) they dont protect you, instead they'll feed you to client demands. They dont care about your workload, especially the one's from US timezone, they dont respect your working hours, if you are working for in APAC shift, they act like you'll be working the whole day and night including their hours. 2) Employee health, satisfaction, happiness and overall state are thrown out the window - 2X used to be a great place to work, employees are well taken care and compensated. All this is being thrown away to chase higher profit. The company orientation is changing, its no longer following its core principles, instead they're becoming the typical tech mogul modern slavery type of company. Getting promoted is nearly impossible now. New employees aren't even getting new devices, instead recycled old laptops from former employees. There is no annual dinner anymore after 2024. Employees are expected to work 24/7. 3) Lack of leadership support - Project managers, COE managers, and especially board managers are not really useful. The total number of "leaders" have significantly the past 2-3 years but the leadership quality is declining. With all this new supposed brilliant mind being hired yet they still manage to consistently make LOL decisions. Instead of taking care of employee wellbeing, how bout going on company acquisition spree? Yup that's what exactly they been doing recently. I guess there goes the bonus allocation. We used to have a monthly vibe check for all employee, they removed it probably because of high number of complains or lack of action taken from all the feedbacks shared. There's so much more i cant write them all down! Read all other reviews to know more. Its sad to see how 2X has become.