Pros
I worked at NewBay Media prior to the acquisition last year. – I had some great colleagues with a strong sense of rapport. – There were plenty of opportunities for early-stage career growth. – Staff were afforded a great deal of freedom, which generated plenty of opportunities to assume a high degree of responsibility and take ownership of their brands. – Although they were overstretched, upper managers clearly cared about their teams, and there was an evident desire to meet the expectations of staff. – The liberal work-from-home policy allowed staff to engage in the "deep work" required to meet the requirements of their roles. – Great work/life balance for (organised) staff.
Cons
– The relatively flat structure and low staff turnover among upper management meant there were few opportunities for growth past a certain point. – At the time, there was a shortage of resources for brand growth, and manpower was insufficient. Paradoxically, however – by virtue of the advertising funding model – there was constant pressure to show that audience engagement was rising, or at least not falling. – Financial investment in career development for staff was rare. – Ground-level employees were given no agency in some aspects of decision-making that would have benefitted from their input, and upper management often did not take into account the industry-specific issues impacting the directions publications should have taken. – At the time, team morale was at an all-time low, and there was a persistent threat to job security. – Almost no benefits, e.g. healthcare, dental, bonuses.