Pros
- One work from home day per week - If you're lucky there may be bagels or snacks sitting on the tables throughout the office that are up for grabs. - Two parking lots - Lots of cabinet space to store your personal items at your desk - Ice machine
Cons
If you are in the interviewing process with Valassis now - please read the poor reviews and reconsider. Find somewhere else to nurture your career. Do not believe the "5 Star Reviews" - These are untrue and I can bet that someone from upper management has encouraged associates to go post positive reviews to mask the negative commentary on this site. I am really unsure of what direction this company is trying to go in. First, there was in influx of new companies Valassis had acquired. I remember hearing one of them laugh and say “Anyone know of a company we can buy?” constantly during town hall meetings. Then several members of top management “resign” suddenly or are moved to different positions. Even the CFO has left this year! They think we don’t notice but we do. There’s definitely issues with communication and transparency and that is why most people have their resumes ready and/or are already applying for new jobs. New leadership talks over and over again about transformation and innovation. In the years prior Valassis experienced financial shortfalls, massive layoffs and site closures. Yes, these changes are due to industry changes but I know that a lot of it contributes to poor planning and decision making. Currently they have talked about how much money Valassis has brought in this year however associates have YET to see a change internally that also BENEFITS and REWARDS them. Through all of the role eliminations and restructuring (and new comp plans for Sales) associates have had more tasks piled on to their current role with no change in salary. What is needed is monetary compensation. Compensate your employees appropriately for their hard work and due diligence. A raise (that’s more than 2.5%) or a yearly bonus to ALL would surely be welcomed. And NO - associates do not just want breakfast from Senate Coney Island or a jar of peppermints or a rubber bracelet as a “Thank you for all your hard work for Employee Appreciation Day”. The Six Mile location in Livonia, MI has sooo many issues. The moral is so low in that building that many teams do not feel confident - they are drained, overworked and lacking fulfillment. I’ve talked to many tenured associates and they all have said “This is the worst it has ever been in all my years working here. I have no idea what they are doing.” To sum it up: *ENVIRONMENT - Pretty hostile. Feels like high school. Lacks diversity and inclusion. Culture is ………. Initiatives are created just to check off the list to stay competitive in the industry. Inorganic. Participation is low for company events. Management will walk right past and barely acknowledge you. Someone mentioned in a previous review that there is an open door policy. Sure, it may be open but if you do speak or voice your concerns it’s not really heard or valued. *LEADERSHIP - Lacks….Decision making is questionable. Experience is limited. The end result hardly makes sense. Organization is very top heavy. Some question why there is a need for so many supervisors when help or development is barely given or inadequate. Leadership to associate relationship is far from 50/50. Associate confidence is low. Most of the real help and advice is given peer-to-peer. Management is selective in associate grooming and upward mobility. Very competitive on the floor to “outshine” the next person. *CAREER GROWTH - Non existent. New positions are limited and reserved for “friends, favorites, or supervisor/management-sponsored associates”. If you're qualified, forget about it. Most associates leave Valassis after 2.5 -3.5 years if they are unable to secure a new position or if they have been given the runaround of what they need to do in order to advance. There has to be buy-in and the advancement has to “make sense on the floor”. Overall, I would not recommend this place to anyone. Especially if you are one or a combination of the following: Visibly older/older, a minority, educated (post bachelor degree), a forward-thinker, not a yes-person, someone looking for professional/personal development, need job security But if you are straight out of college, young and moldable go for it.