Honestly one of the best places to work, hands down - Anonymous employee Big Duck Employee Review

5.0
1 June 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at Big Duck was a breath of fresh air from the marketing agencies I worked at in the past. I honestly didn't know that such a firm existed and I still pinch myself for having the opportunity to work there. Big Duck has certainly set a high bar for every other work environment I will ever come across. While the chance to work with such a large variety of nonprofits is what reeled me in, what really kept me there was the people. The team is crazy smart, good humored, and thoughtful towards the work and each other. The pay was more generous than I ever experienced at past agencies, and it was the first time I had ever in my career received proper and consistent reviews. Also, the work-life balance was stellar and is difficult to find elsewhere.

Cons

I had so many great experiences at Big Duck, but it's not fair to say it's absolutely perfect (no company is). Being a small firm with the founder as CEO, upward mobility is gained through your title and level of responsibility (which is what you'll find at most firms) but I feel like Big Duck is just more creative in paving a path that is tailored to a person's strengths. There were moments of micro-management, but I was also given permission to question the status quo and leadership team, which is something that isn't usually encouraged at agencies. The overall environment felt like a very reasonable give and take.

Explore other reviews about Big Duck

5.0
3 July 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Profit-sharing, transparent culture, smart people, mission-driven clients, healthy work life balance

Cons

Dense workloads and the inevitable challenges of being in client services!

1.0
23 Mar 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The nice thing about Big Duck is that they hire smart people who truly are motivated to make a difference. The office also has a great view of the Manhattan bridge!

Cons

When I joined Big Duck I was hopeful and excited to be amongst like-minded folks who wanted to help nonprofits execute their missions. It wasn't too long before reality set in and I realized the company's image was just a facade — it seemed like making a profit was the main priority. It wasn't about putting the best work forward, but using a cookie-cutter template to churn out mediocre work. While the employees got to come in and leave at a reasonable time, every minute during the work day was time-tracked. This fostered an environment where people quietly worked at their desks and messaged one another to ask if it was ok to interrupt them before walking over and asking a question. Employees for the most part were undervalued and there was no real opportunity for growth, which has resulted in a high turnover. It seems like the company takes advantage of the term nonprofits and uses that as an excuse to justify undercompensating employees. Even little things like getting bagels once a week came out of all of our pockets (we all took turns), and at one point there was a jar we could contribute to to pay for coffee.

4
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