4 Nov 2018

Wonderful for some, as long as you are favored

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Open spaces to have meeting, friendly staff to talk to, close to metro line, plenty of parking and some opportunities to advance and develop professionally.

Cons

IG is very elitist, I can not keep track of how many people talk as if they are giving some sort of enlightened service into the poor communities. I can hardly stand how everyone pats themselves on the back for ordering food from a minority or woman-owned business who happens to cater to a very white palate. I have seen others seemingly get away with using PTO/PD as personal travel around the world time while others are scolded for wearing jean jackets. Some directors come in constantly after 9 and leave at 2 but reprimand others for having to spend weekends in office doing project work. DE&I training is given by self-selected savors strategically selected by those in IG who refuse to see their own contributions to exclusionary practices. Of course, even the black consultant acknowledges his tokenism in a diversity training. There are a selected few IG-lifers in the office who are rewarded for a feigned belief that projects are an actual improvement in the community. The workplace bullying from the lifers remains unchecked and even encouraged by the CEO (who is well aware but does nothing about it). Professional development funds and training is only approved if it falls within the whim of a C while others can use it to travel to conferences abroad and work remotely without question. Lifers who have formal training but poor practice get preferential treatment over others who have talent and passion. Totally unfair practices. Office-wide team building experiences can be humiliating and self-identifying of going against the office political and institutional norm. It behooves oneself to not show any individuality or else be targeted and eventually phased out. CEO and upper Cs are strategic in identifying trouble and passing on blame onto others for poor management. CEO and Cs cultivate a few life-IGers, those who are compliant with the status quo and those who will only spread good word about IG marketing benefiting the community. When someone is let go, IG does a great effort to cover it up and only let other staff know via email after the fact. They are not allowed to say goodbye to coworkers or own their own emotions and the CEO designates someone to stand over them while he/she is forced out like a criminal. Basically, common human decency is ignored and instead opted out for some worksheet practice such as to COIN an individual. Honestly, if someone can not treat their neighbor with the dignity and respect of being a human being, I hardly think she can wholeheartedly practice being a mindful person.

1.0

26 Sept 2018

Walked on eggshells

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

IG has plenty of space to work and a flexible schedule if you are not overbooked. Meetings stay on task and are very productive. IG also offers opportunities for professional development and volunteering, fully paid but you may not always get to choose what you want to focus in. Decent benefits.

Cons

Gross mismanagement by upper management. Management can be snide and patronizing when talking to others without reprimand. Very top-down organization with little room for advancement unless you play into the institutionalized mean-girls mentality. Plenty of self-appointed White saviors and SJWs, having any other beliefs no matter how slight can land you the position of the black office sheep. Self-appointed experts who pretty much take away the joy of learning from any newcomer. Unfair treatment of employees, example being some individuals use "professional development" as an excuse to vacation while others are forced to work weekends, all of which is approved by the uppers. Lack of dignity in the workplace, I've seen multiple people let go without the chance to say goodbye to others, they were basically treated like a criminal and asked to leave immediately. Extreme elitist mentality where people focus on titles and treat others with different education as handicapped, those who do not have a masters degree from Humphrey are treated worse. High stress that is not project related, but interpersonal and power related. Conform to bad behavior to survive. Salary, title, and career advancement seems arbitrarily confined to a checklist and highly contingent on productivity and conformity within the toxic vortex of IG. Institutionalized fear is real, people are reprimanded for the mistakes or misunderstandings. Lacking good mentorship opportunities. Professional relationships between coworkers are very thin because of a few individuals who pretty much set the tone for the office. Lack of trust with upper management because they are more interested in project productivity and passing tasks (and blame) to others. All of which leads no one willing to open up and be truthful about problems and issues at IG.

The Improve Group Response

Thank you for the time you spent in preparing this post and sharing your concerns. I am troubled to hear this was your experience. At The Improve Group we strive to create a culture where all employees are respected, heard and treated in a manner that reflects our values of thoughtfulness, collaboration and inclusiveness. Additionally, I appreciate your recommendation to do a deep evaluation of our organization and how broadly these experiences are shared and where we should focus our development efforts, and plans are underway to do just that. Once again, thanks for your feedback!

3.0

18 Jan 2019

Started off well, but it's going downhill.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

TIG truly has staff that wants to make the world a better place. The core consulting team is great! The writing team is a lot of fun as well. Other people not in leadership are sociable. The staff members are not an issue by any means -- they're friendly and passionate about their work. TIG also does its best to promote positive health and well-being throughout their culture. They're incredibly flexible with work schedules.

Cons

The management of IG has been going downhill. A third of the company's staff left the company in 2018, and a few more are eyeing a possible departure in the upcoming year. Capacity is an issue -- some staff are notoriously overbooked, while others are forced to ask those above them for more work. The capacity model they have is, while ideal, not sustainable for a company that wants to grow and promote professional development. It often leads newer talent struggling to find opportunities for professional development and more experienced talent overbooked. Also, the company is looking to take a more conservative approach fiscally in the upcoming year, which may not be the best idea for retention. TIG already has a reputation for its staff being underpaid in the industry. This doesn't help that. Some senior level employees talk down to younger employees. It's incredibly awkward to witness. The irony of this is that this is a company that tries to foster a culture of open communication yet misses the goal.