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      Business Development Institute

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      Business Development Institute Reviews

      3.8

      65% would recommend to a friend

      (26 total reviews)

      Steve Etzler

      77% approve of CEO

      66% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.1

      Work/Life balance

      3.8

      Culture and values

      3.7

      Diversity and inclusion

      3.6

      Senior management

      3.6

      Compensation and benefits

      3.6

      Career opportunities

      Business Development Institute has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 26 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Business Development Institute employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      26 reviews
      2.0
      18 Mar 2022

      Not well structured, many disconnects internally

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      The group of people that I worked with during my time there were all amazing, and I am genuinely friends with them outside of work. That being said, the majority of them no longer work at the company either...

      Cons

      The turnover rate is SO high. In the past few months ~7 people on our very small team have left. There is a disconnect between Leadership and their understanding of the actual processes that are required to carry the product out, which leaves the different teams to have to explain/teach it to them. Pay is low, no real benefits or bonuses. CEO does not listen to employees or take feedback to make necessary changes. The culture has shifted dramatically in the past year, which is one of many factors that has lead to the high turnover rate.

      avatar
      Business Development Institute Response
      4y
      Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate that recognize the quality of our team while you were here and are grateful for that. Yes, we have experienced high turnover rates lately. Since January, however, we have added four new full-time team members and are looking forward to bringing on new additions to continue our strong company culture. I agree with your advice that we need to listen to our team and be proactive vs. reactive. I also agree we need to understand our internal processes better as a leadership team. We are actively and aggressively doing both right now and are intent on improving.
      2.0
      17 Mar 2022

      Disorganized

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Has a reputable client list, offers wellness days, kind people

      Cons

      This company is a marketing agency but is also a small family business that lacks boundaries. Communication is highly unprofessional and you definitely will be wearing many hats as if you were at a startup. Everything is very disorganized. Leadership doesn't seem to know what they're doing, therefore, you have to do everything yourself. Be prepared to advocate for all of your needs including pay. The company lacks transparency and is not receptive to feedback even though they promote a culture where everyone is honest and open. There are a lot of secrets and drama that distract from the actual work at hand.

      avatar
      Business Development Institute Response
      4y
      We appreciate your feedback and you recognizing our reputable client list, wellness days and kind people in our organization. I agree that we have been operating like a startup and need better organization. There have been challenges in transitioning from a virtual events company to an in-person, hybrid, and virtual company. The majority of the team is new to the in-person process, but we are proud of the growth and learning opportunities all of our employees have experienced in a short period of time. I agree with your advice that we need to better recognize the bandwidth of our team and provide resources for success. We have listened and are making substantial changes to improve the employee experience moving forward.
      2.0
      17 Mar 2022

      Lack of long-term vision and transparency

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Everyone at BDI is supportive, kind, and wants you to succeed. There's a lot of smart people who work here and you have the freedom to take on tasks in different areas according to your interests. Work from anywhere, virtual games, in-person beach day in the summer.

      Cons

      A few red flags to be wary of: Half of the full-time team has left in the past three months. The business wasn't profitable in 2021. The business model is struggling to adjust after covid. Leadership doesn't seem to have a vision for where the company will be 5 years from now. Pay isn't super competitive. CEO sugarcoats a lot of team-wide communication. The vibe really shifted during my time at BDI, from a cohesive, hardworking team, to a lot of stressed and unhappy people constantly dealing with work drama. It's a small, family-owned and run business with most employees under the age of 25.

      avatar
      Business Development Institute Response
      4y
      Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you recognizing that our team is supportive, kind and wants everyone to succeed. We also thank you for mentioning some highlights from our team culture. Turnover has been high the last several months while we have been making undergoing transitions in our operating model and also given that the job market has become more competitive for a small business like ours than at any other time in our 20-year history. Regarding our profitability, 2021 was challenging due to BDI being an event marketing agency greatly impacted by COVID. I agree with your advice regarding the need for transparency and hiring more senior people. We are actively working on that.
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      Glassdoor has 27 Business Development Institute reviews submitted anonymously by Business Development Institute employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Business Development Institute is right for you.