Plein Air Reviews

3.2

51% would recommend to a friend

(49 total reviews)

Paul McEnany

52% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Plein Air has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 49 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Plein Air employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management and consulting industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

49 reviews
1.0
15 Dec 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Completely Remote so can work in sweats Competitive Salary to help ease the burn of 70 hour work weeks

Cons

Where do I start? I was at PA for a short time and it was easily the most toxic place I've ever had the displeasure of working at. They tote themselves on "being more than an agency" - it is more like a slave camp. You are expected to be available 24/7 (understandably the industry is very demanding, but having to work on the weekends to accommodate a client is CRAZY). Everyone I worked with was burnt out constantly. Morale was up on Friday's only because a break from the constant stress was near. Morale was low by Monday afternoon. Working 70+ hours is expected to "get the job done" but the company is so new they do not say no to ANY request so beware. Working til 10 at night got old fast. It also didnt help that there are next to zero processes in place and client deadlines mean nothing. If a request comes in at 430PM on a Friday It is expected that it is complete by the weekend. ha nd don't get me started on the MANDATORY CAMERA ON zooms 3X a week at 9AM (???!?!?) What's worse is that management acted like we were all a big happy family in the same boat when in reality it was hell on earth in which you could only save yourself by quitting. Which sadly makes it harder for those clinging on. Don't be fooled by other positive reviewers. Don't get me wrong, some people are a joy to work with, but those reviews are clearly by management or those that are favored. It felt very toxic that the "grind" would pay off - but at what cost? Is your mental health and recharge time worth it? My advice is to keep on with your job search and hold off for a company that has it more together. This place is 100% acting like it has it together under the facade of an ad agency when its really just a high paid partner helping field requests and build brands AIMLESSLY. Beware!

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Plein Air Response
4y
It’s disappointing to get feedback like this. This last year was challenging for a lot of reasons. No one really gives you a rulebook for how to become a bigger company so quickly, and we definitely made our share of mistakes along the way. We’ve always prized autonomy, limited bureaucracy, and designing roles around people. When it works, it can be amazing. But it can be challenging too. While I would have loved to chat this through with you while you were still at Plein Air, there is no company that is for everybody and it’s tough when you have to part ways. I have full faith you’ll go on to do great things and we’ll wish you all the best in the future. All the best, Paul
1.0
3 Nov 2021

Big Promises, Bigger Failures

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Direct Manager (He tried to make change but C-suite never cared.) - Not Needing to See Them in Person

Cons

This agency has the curb appeal and promise of a place that should make a great career starter or career jump for all ...but ended up only being great for folks that are grandfathered and/or invited into the "favorites club" or have no boundaries or desires beyond work. Long story, short: I fell for the trap and hope that candidates take heed that most of these "great" reviews were forced upon new hires before they were aware of any issues. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if management comes back with a convoluted answer to this review that blames "rapid growth" and "the growing pains of a new agency". Regardless, this business is old enough to treat people with respect and pay employees a livable wage. Advice to Prospective Candidates: Ask tons of questions during interviews around culture and work-life balance, be weary of process and structure for your department because there's no streamlined structure over the entire agency, and keep an exit plan handy if you do accept a position. There's no room for constructive pushback (without passive-aggressive consequences) and you should be ready to do as CEO says--good or bad. Some Other Issues: - No boundaries with certain clients - No regard for Best Practices, Bottom-line Only - Overworking Celebrated - NO training & NO system for reviews or raises - Obvious favoritism & NO transparency about Turnover/New Hires - Bottlenecked Processes due to CEO Micromanagement - Below industry-standard benefits package

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Plein Air Response
4y
It’s unfortunate that you felt this way about your experience. You were thrown into a new role that we didn’t spend enough time defining going in. I’ve always believed that you give great people room to define the role around their strengths, but that can be messy and we didn’t do a great job of giving you enough direction to set you up for success. We value open and honest feedback from everyone, and sometimes that’s hard to give and receive. That doesn’t mean we don’t respect each other as people, but constructive conversations about the work are what make each of us better. As hard as it can be to part ways, you deserve a place that fits the kind of work you want to do. I’ll still be rooting for you wherever your path leads from here. All the best, Paul
1.0
3 Nov 2021

High Turnover - Toxic Culture

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I was able to leave.

Cons

I was urged by the CEO to post a glassdoor review very early into my ‘career’ working there, and I have some updated information. The title pretty much sums it up, but in almost 3 years of working there I witnessed 10+ people leave, with more on the way! Lots of favoritism, criticism, and superiority complex that’s palpable from account teams and leadership.

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Glassdoor has 52 Plein Air reviews submitted anonymously by Plein Air employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Plein Air is right for you.