The Onion Reviews

When I was younger I worked in what they call a "kill plant" in South Dakota where you effectively slaughter animals in a very high tech way. It was an incredibly depressing job and, until I worked at The Onion, held the top spot for worst job I have ever had. It's hard to describe how on top of the world I felt when this opportunity became a reality for me... it's even harder to describe the near suicidal state I ended up in after only working there for a year. If you are reading this now, the likelihood is that you are up for a position, or, like myself, a huge fan of the brand and imagine how wonderful working at The Onion should be. Please consider this review, and the others out there very carefully before making your decision. - The organization doesn't need to try hard to create a positive culture for their employees, because they rely on their brand name to entice talent. - The culture is very cliquey, and silo'd. - Workspace is often loud (in a bad / not fun way) and its very hard to concentrate. - Bathrooms are in the center of the open office (no joke, it's horrible). - The Current CEO (Mike McAvoy) is a bully / egomaniac and very difficult to work with or for. His influence is felt throughout the organization in a very bad way. He has an incredibly oppressive nature and is an extreme micro manager. He is not open to critique and when wrong he is the first to blame others. Those that end up surviving fall into one of 3 categories: those that are buffaloed by him, those that are "yes men" and those that have been around since the beginning and have some form of leverage. The last of which is becoming few and far between as he has carefully and systematically gotten rid of most of the people that built the brand. - The leadership team is a farce, it's one man's vision. See above. - I was routinely asked to do highly unethical (borderline illegal) things. - The turnover rate, because of the above reasons, is very high. When I was there, the majority of the company had been there for less then 2 years... and this was not because of growth. - The creative teams (writers, videographers etc.) hands are being increasingly tied in favor of appeasing clients. - They like to hire people from other states because their reputation is so bad in Chicago. They also feel that employees that move themselves and their families will be more likely to just keep their heads down and do as they are told. - A recent core goal is to "jam as many ads on every page as humanly possible". This creates a very junky website, that the collective teams are less proud of. - The pay is pretty terrible for anyone but senior leadership. Below industry - despite what they claim. - As the original owners are no longer in the picture, The Onion is effectively a mutual fund for rich old men that now own the company. They see it as nothing more then an opportunity to make money. They are currently in the process of trying to inflate perceived revenues to attain a bloated investment or acquisition. My advice to anyone considering investing or buying The Onion - do your homework - talk to past and present employees confidentially. CONCLUSION Ultimately The Onion is no longer The Onion we knew and loved. It's soul has been ripped out by competition, a changing industry and the loss of those that built the brand. It's focus now is surviving and making money by any means necessary. Sadly, with the leadership they currently have in play - i don't see that happening. If you are a writer and don't mind low pay, long hours and fascist restrictions you might want to give it a go, just to get it on your resume... but, honestly i would explore other options... there are many that don't suck nearly as much. If you are anything else, designer, tech, admin etc. you shouldn't even waste your time. There are far better companies out there, chomping at the bit to hire you. If you are leadership, despite what they say... there is not position here. It's a dictatorship - a terribly oppressive one.