Canadian office is not any better - Senior Paid Media Specialist Directive Employee Review

1.0
31 Aug 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- above-market wages - remote work

Cons

I lasted only two weeks at Directive before deciding to quit. During the hiring process, I was assured that the new Canadian office was a separate entity and wouldn't face the same operational and cultural issues reported on Glassdoor. That was not the case. The Canadian team is fully integrated with the U.S. team, meaning everything described in these Glassdoor reviews will apply to you. As others have mentioned, it's very much a sink-or-swim culture, and the onboarding process is grueling, with a format that includes rapid-fire assignments and presentations fired off like bullets. It's essentially an extended interview process on steroids. In my brief two weeks, I found myself working overtime to complete get through a high volume of training videos and reading assignments and give tedious presentations, with little to no guidance. When I asked for help, I was told the assignments were intentionally vague to see how I would handle them. It’s essentially a test to determine what accounts you’ll be assigned and how much respect and trust you’ll receive from the co-founder. As others have pointed out, the co-founder was extremely disrespectful and aggressive, which ultimately led me to leave the company immediately. Working with high-conflict personalities who lack tact and diplomacy in their interactions with staff is not something I'm willing to tolerate. While the compensation package was enticing, there is a reason they provide above-market wages. It's a nightmare to work here. If you have any self-respect and value yourself and your mental health at any level, do not work here.

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Directive Response
1y
Hello, Thank you for sharing your experience. Our new employee onboarding program is designed to introduce our marketing methodologies and ways of working, but it’s also designed to introduce our employees to the pace and quality expectations that our clients and our team hold themselves to. Depending on previous agency experience, those expectations can be jarring. As a values-driven organization, disrespectful behavior of any kind is not tolerated at any level within the company. To ensure this, we offer anonymous systems for employees to share their experiences, and thoroughly investigate any complaint or concern. Thank you for your time at Directive, and we sincerely hope you’ve found a company where you feel comfortable with the pace and expectations of your role.

Explore other reviews about Directive

5.0
16 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fast growing organization, genuinely sharp teammates & feeling that we're hiring the best of the best, real career growth, transparent leadership team.

Cons

High expectations but rewarding for those who embrace the culture and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

1.0
8 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

remote work is the only one

Cons

terribly disorganized no structure millions of slack messages a day as their singular form of communicating and it creates mistakes, oversight and backlogs meetings upon meetings with no outcomes everyone was running around like a chicken with head cut off i would advise against working here

4
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