SPM Communications Reviews

3.8

69% would recommend to a friend

(30 total reviews)

Suzanne Miller

72% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

SPM Communications has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 30 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The SPM Communications employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

30 reviews
1.0
4 June 2019

The worst place I have ever worked

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good location in downtown Dallas,

Cons

SPM's "perks" -- such as year-round Summer Fridays, having dogs in the office, and a "no jerks" policy -- all sound great when they are courting you, but the reality of SPM couldn't be further from the smokescreen they put up. SPM -- specifically the owner, Suzanne -- hires people they think align with their "values" and then quickly flip a switch once they realize you can think for yourself. The work they undertake and subsequently dole out in unmanageable heaps to overworked junior staff is inconsequential at best, and pointless at worst. Their PR techniques are old-school and severely outdated, and SPM is slow to catch up to the latest PR best practices. Their "no jerks" policy does not apply to upper management, which is a good chunk of the office seeing as the staff is so small. Promotions are dealt sparingly, so growth is minimal. SPM is a toxic environment led by toxic management and I strongly recommend against working there.

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SPM Communications Response
6y
Thank you for your feedback and for calling out our great perks, which our team continues to enjoy today. It’s true that we try to hire those who align with our values – collaboration, creativity, responsibility, solid work ethic, positivity and respect, to name a few. Not everyone can be a fit and we’ve had some mismatches, as most any company does who has been in business 20 years. As we continue to evolve, our interview process has become more involved and that helps with team fit, camaraderie and commitment, overall. I do take strong issue with your comments about our PR practices and the work we do. That is simply untrue and disrespectful to our team. I am proud of their creativity and strategic thinking, which has resulted in outstanding results, award-winning campaigns and excellent relationships with long-term clients. To address your comments about our size and the opportunities we offer – it’s true that we’re not a big corporate agency. We like it that way. It’s why our interns consistently tell us they appreciate getting to do real, varied and hands-on work, rather than repeating the same task behind the scenes as is typical at some bigger agencies. From intern on up, we are able to get creative, be hands-on and have a direct impact on our clients’ business. Big agencies are great, and a good choice for many people. At SPM, we offer opportunity and advancement that go beyond titles for those at every level to learn, teach and lead. True to our size, we may have fewer titles than larger agencies and I hear and appreciate the importance of that for some people. The people who thrive at SPM tend to be more of an entrepreneurial, creative and strategic mindset and want to do bigger and better for their own development or for the good of the client team or agency. That kind of spirit is always welcome at SPM.
1.0
6 June 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The coffee shop downstairs was delicious.

Cons

Do not be fooled by Suzanne's persona of a kind, empathic, or caring person in any way. She wants to play that role, and she does. Even I fell for it (slightly) – and I’m usually quite good at reading people. The truth about Suzanne is that her presentation is fraudulent. Behind the scenes, she is a cold and ruthless woman, but she doesn’t want to be seen as cold and ruthless – she wants to be liked. So, she has a “leadership team” that does her dirty work for her. When I say “dirty work” I mean this: SPM fosters a workplace of fear and manipulation in order to get the staff to “produce great work”. To say the office culture was 'toxic' is an understatement. During my first 1-2 months at the company, five employees left, and while the CEO was off on vacation, a member from the leadership team *literally* SCREAMED at another employee causing her to quit as well. I’ve never in my professional career had such distorted and malicious words spoken to me regarding my work and who I am as an employee than I did during my time at SPM Communications. This company and this leadership team does not care about your wellbeing or your personal life in any capacity. I cannot tell you how many nights I was up ALL NIGHT LONG – did not sleep at all – to meet completely unrealistic deadlines. The CEO would say multiple times "I used to work 80-90 hour weeks why is everyone complaining about being overloaded with work?" she could not comprehend a 40 hour work week or someone having a personal life -- though she will try to sell you on a "great work/life balance" and "summer friday's" and other "perks" during the interview -- just know that once you're about 2 months in, you'll find out they don't follow through on anything. Oh, and if you are used to taking 1 hour lunches, you will have to make up for that hour because the CEO has "never heard of a company that paid for people to eat"..........She sounds like someone who cares about her staff right??? #NoJerks After many months, several conversations with “leadership” and the CEO – the company decided to terminate me due to “quality of work” even though I received BONUSES from both my supervisor AND Suzanne for the “great work” I was doing. Think very carefully before considering joining SPM Communications. There are other companies out there that are better in SO MANY WAYS – but most importantly, there are companies with leaders who REALLY care. There are companies with CEOs who are ACTUALLY AUTHENTIC and care about their staff. Continue searching. Please don’t work here.

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SPM Communications Response
7y
Thanks for your feedback. While it’s rare to see a positive review from someone who has been terminated, I take your criticism as an opportunity to learn and I’ve reflected on what I believe in, where I can do better and what we stand for at SPM. I read your post several times and found statements I can grow from. Thank you. However, it’s also important to provide balance to your post in this forum. If I were a candidate considering our company, I’d want to know the details surrounding the comments in your post. To that person I would say – we have been in business 20 years, we prioritize our people and our culture and it’s actually why I started the agency, we have many long-term team members and have done award-winning work. Those things would not happen in the environment described in this post. While we are always looking for ways to improve, I am proud of our team and of all the ways we take care of our group as well.
1.0
24 July 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They hire great junior staff. Only thing that made this place bearable.

Cons

You can easily tell what reviews Suzanne forced her current employees to make, as opposed to the ones written wholeheartedly. This place is a dumpster fire. The only thing they have going for them is that they hire good people in junior roles, but don't get too attached, cause they'll only be there for a few months, maybe a year.

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SPM Communications Response
6y
Thanks for your comments. I agree that we hire great junior staff! While it’s true that many young people build their careers by staying at their first jobs for a year or two before moving on to gain new experiences, our average stay for those in AAE-SAE positions is about two years. Positive reviews have as much merit as negative for how we can grow or what people value at SPM and I guarantee there is no forcing of positive reviews. We deeply appreciate the loyalty and kind words from current and former employees who have shared their great experiences, whether they’ve stayed or moved on to other opportunities. We are also thankful for constructive criticism from which to learn and grow. If you want to give me any specific feedback, I’m interested. I want to add that we are proud of our team and our culture today, and I’d invite you or anyone reading this who might be curious to ask anyone on our team if they are treated with respect, if they are given opportunity, if they are recognized for good work, if they have a healthy work/life balance and if they feel valued for their contributions. I’m confident you’d learn it’s different than what you describe in this post.
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Glassdoor has 32 SPM Communications reviews submitted anonymously by SPM Communications employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if SPM Communications is right for you.