RICE Communications Reviews

1. Supportive, smart, self-aware people doing top-notch work together - In general, people expect a lot of themselves in a way that reinforces a culture of excellence. There’s a shared obsession over quality, a common desire to learn from mistakes on occasions when they occur and celebrate each other's growth through all the ups and downs. Nobody thinks they are perfect (a rarity in an industry that’s often ego-driven), and each recognises his/her/their own room for growth. 2. A culture of communicating openly and doing right by people - Management tends to share more than is typical in the industry - that includes revenue, growth numbers, company targets, future plans, any roadblocks. It creates a sense of ownership that’s not always present in bigger network agencies. There’s also a culture of informality and candour - good-natured grilling of newcomers, open debates on trashy Netflix shows over weekly breakfasts, (not) laughing at the bosses’ dad (or mum) jokes, WhatsApp group convos, and you get the drift... More importantly, decisions tend to be made based on shared values - which is not always expedient, most efficient, or ideal, because a lot of viewpoints have to be considered. It also doesn’t mean that all outcomes are perfect, but generally, actions align with values and a certain consciousness about putting people first. Potential revenues and even accounts have been resigned where their impact on the team is disproportionately negative. 3. Chunky, challenging comms work - diverse clients with regional remit (a lot of pan-APAC opps beyond Singapore) and cross-disciplinary exposure. Teams are not constrained to any particular vertical/discipline, so it’s a bit like working in a ‘liberal arts’ environment. You get to grow within your own ‘home’ team as the primary major, but there’s ample room to grow laterally and work with global blue-chip brands across B2B, B2C, tech, corporate, finance, and more disciplines. Big, tangible opportunities to take up new roles and functions (even set up new offices if that’s your jam, like the Myanmar office GM, who came up with her own plan to set up shop there after a vacation). You’d need the drive to carve your own space, though, and define/claim these opportunities for yourself. 4. Actual benefits and coverage - 21 days ++ of leave (+1 for each year of service up to 30 days) and full health and dental benefits and childcare allowance. I’m stating all these as a factor because anyone who has worked in other agencies in SG - global network and local boutique alike - would know the average industry standard is closer to the legally mandated allowance of 12-14 days and the industry is notorious for equating ridiculously long working hours with accomplishment. Here, flexible working hours are quite happily embraced - the whole company went into WFH well before government-mandated measures were put in place, and as a matter of principle, people try to refrain from infringing on others’ personal time after work because many in the team are in fact parents with young children. Of course, people do work till late or over the weekend, but when they do, these occasions are treated as exceptional events and management would try to find ways to prevent them from becoming the norm.