I have hesitated to write this review because of the individuals mentioned above. However, in light of the current political climate, as well as the #timesup movement, not writing this review felt irresponsible and potentially harmful to women seeking employment at Cramer.
Cramer is the epitome of the "old boys' club" of the advertising world. The company has made a *few* progressive strides -- at the prompting of the good, talented individuals mentioned above -- but unfortunately it continues to lag behind many companies.
Sexism is rampant at Cramer, from the more casual statements to the more blatant acts of misogyny. Take a look at the executive leadership on the company's website, and you'll see mostly men, most of whom are the founder's sons. (One of the three women represented is the founder's daughter.) While many women at Cramer deserve to be promoted into executive positions for their hard work, dedication to the company, and immense talent, they are generally not. Meanwhile, less qualified men are often promoted into leadership positions they have not earned nor do they deserve.
At Cramer, while men are valued and recognized for the "big ideas" they bring to the table and/or their “potential,” women are judged and evaluated in terms of whether or not they are well liked by fellow employees and "play well" with others. In spite of excellent performance and consistently nailing client work or bringing in new accounts, if a woman is not well-liked at Cramer, she's not getting ahead. Unfortunately, well-liked women at Cramer -- the ones who don't complain or make waves -- don't get very far, either. If they do manage to move up, they do so after years and years (and years) of hard, diligent work. Meanwhile, men who are decidedly not liked continue to advance quickly at Cramer, and are frequently given professional development opportunities that many of the women, including those in their same department or area, are not.
Even efforts to correct the culture (e.g., a committee on women’s issues, created only after an internal survey revealed the need for one) have been dominated by well-meaning but misguided men, unaware of their own privilege within the company and the many ways in which they have benefitted from a culture that favors and rewards them for significantly less than that of their female colleagues.
During my years at the company, I experienced sexism firsthand, overheard it in the offices, hallways, and cafeteria, and shared war stories with many of the women I worked with. I was told that I'd get further at Cramer if I "dressed differently" (i.e., more feminine, while, it should be noted, all of the men in my department routinely wore jeans, T-shirts, and hoodies). Another female colleague of mine was told she'd get further if she "talked about her children as much as a man would." Which is to say, not at all. (An offensive statement to both women and good men and fathers.)
I can cite countless other specific examples of the more egregious remarks that were made either about me or my female colleagues, but I think you get the gist.
Salaries at Cramer are generally below industry standards, especially if you're a woman. The gender pay gap is alive and well there. As a woman, you start out at a lower salary. And because Cramer is notorious for its lack of raises, when cost-of-living raises are awarded, as I joked while working there, 3% of nothing is still nothing. (And it certainly does nothing to close the gaps.)
For women at Cramer, there is no catching up. The only option, indeed, the very best option, is to leave. You'll miss a lot of the good, talented people there, but in the end, you'll be glad you had the courage to move on.
