Positive co-workers, but low pay and job insecurity - Anonymous employee DEPT Employee Review

2.0
6 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Co-workers and immediate managers are easy to work, chill, and generally a good bunch of people. Very diverse

Cons

Pay is way below market value and raises are below the level of inflation, which means that your reward for being good at your job and gaining more experience is a cut in real earnings. Little security. They love six-month contracts so they avoid paying benefits and can get rid of people without having to pay severance. You can get good performance reviews and fit in well and be let go just because your contract is up. Upper management loves to brag about the groundbreaking and creative work the agency does. Yet, internally the message is that everyone who does that work is mediocre. A couple of months ago, they sent out an email saying that no one should get higher than "meets expectations" on their performance reviews. But if everyone who works here is average, at best, then who is making all these award-winning campaigns upper management is always bragging about? People are hired for junior and mid creative roles even though they have more experience and skill than the seniors and directors they report to. Promotions are also rare--I know of people in junior and midweight roles who clearly should have been promoted. They know more than people with titles three levels above them! The whole structure is weird.

Explore other reviews about DEPT

5.0
11 Dec 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of individuals that make up many teams from design, copy, motion, production artists, and even full-time strategists.

Cons

I left right before a big merge, so I can't speak to how it is after the merge. This review may be outdated.

4.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good clients, smart people, and a lot of hands-on experience. You get exposure to real client work and can take ownership pretty quickly.

Cons

Workload can get heavy and processes are not always clear, which can make things feel more stressful than they need to be.

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