Challenging Personality-Driven Environment
Pros
SM is a company that enjoys a surprising level of success, at least financially, despite operating in a manner that would ruin most other companies within a few years. It’s an affirmation of the CEO’s vision and drive to produce a product that is key for a number of large media companies.
Cons
The bad news is that for employee’s, your experience at SM is fully dependent on the CEO’s perception of who you are and what you offer. That's not any different from anywhere else, but this is not a person who cares in the least for the thoughts and concerns of others. Showmgr is a one-man operation and literally everyone else in the company, regardless of title, is disposable. A little bit of history backs this up, turnover at SM is somewhere between 35 to 50% annually with an average employment duration of about 3-5 months. This would be an enormous problem for most companies but at SM, there’s hardly a flinch as employee’s come and go for a variety of reasons, some legit, some comical. But there are real issues too. Missed payrolls? Check. Inaccurate interpretations of labor law and completely outdated attitudes towards employee work-life balance? Check (see the “country-club casual” dress code and non-flexible work hours). Open favoritism? Check. Women over the age of 33? Not here! The deeper issue is that this personality driven environment has potential but not the trust in its own employees to get it to the next level. It's always easier to start from scratch with new blood than trust seasoned employees to make decisions. Running a company this way is the right and privilege of a successful one-man operation. But for an employee, this translates into playing to an audience of one and being subjected to that one person's whim. It must be lonely at top so fortunately his family is in the office with him. No matter where you are in your professional development, think long and hard if this kind of environment that will set you up for success or do more damage than good in the event you’re on the wrong side of the 50% who leave abruptly.