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Murphy Research

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Murphy Research Reviews

4.1

80% would recommend to a friend

(28 total reviews)

Chuck Murphy

96% approve of CEO

79% positive business outlook

Murphy Research has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 28 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Murphy Research employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

28 reviews
3.0
19 May 2017

All that Glitters isn't Gold

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Nice coworkers: Most people are very easy to work with -Fun location: The office is located in Santa Monica, within walking distance of the beach -Variety of clients/projects: There is a wide variety of clients and some interesting projects, although individuals are often stuck with the same ones year after year -Some managers are good

Cons

-Management is delusional: Management turns a blind-eye to issues within the company and seems to think that they can do no wrong even when annual turnover (estimated 40-50%) says otherwise. They attribute the crazy numbers of people quitting to factors out of their control rather than making changes or even introspecting. -President is overly focused on image: President is more focused on attracting new clients and new employees than addressing the needs of current employees. For example, there's no more money for welcome lunches with new employees even though he just BOUGHT an office in Santa Monica. As mentioned in another review, employees are bribed to get the company on the list of "Best Places to Work in LA". Beware of the flashy photos of the office and social media postings. -Poor work-life balance: For a company that constantly brags about their "work-life balance" and "fun", both suck. You'll be treated like a child here, needing permission to take off even 15 minutes. Employees are expected to be in the office 9am-6pm even if they have earlier morning meetings or work activities scheduled for later in the night, meaning that your days can go well over 9 hours even if you're not working against a deadline. People regularly come in early/stay late. Almost no one takes their legal 10 minute breaks (and we're certainly not made aware of it by management), and many eat lunch at their desks. Your lunch break can and will be taken away when "necessary". Partners are forbidden from traveling with you. There have been dubious practices such as taking away overtime from hourly employees. The "fun" is the once-a-year holiday party that everyone writes about. -Poor job security: Management will not hesitate to fire or lay off employees. -Lack of follow-through: Initiatives that are supposed to improve work life for employees fail miserably. Volunteer initiatives are pushed aside for years, and PET projects modeled after Google are a joke. Expect to get 1 hour a month to work on a project that the company assigned you to IF your project work is done. -Lack of privacy/quiet: The office is insanely loud and all the walls are glass except the President's office. -No transparency: Ironically, all the walls are glass but there's no transparency...haha. Managers fail to inform employees about the most basic going-on's like people quitting. Maybe you'll get an email at 9pm and learn that that had been your coworker's last day. Or maybe you'll never be informed. -Low pay: Believe me, you can make more. -No choice in projects.

1.0
21 May 2019

Would not recommend

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good location and very walkable

Cons

Professionalism and transparency do not exist in the organization. The high turnover is a result of favoritism, undervaluing most employees and not investing in them. Upper management's refusal to acknowledge and own up to any dissatisfaction speaks to protecting just a few employees. And by framing all organizational changes as an opportunity without rewarding employees who put in the extra work, effort, and responsibility is discouraging and demotivating. The organization either lacks self-awareness or is blatantly ignoring these problems.

avatar
Murphy Research Response
5y
We're sorry you felt so negatively about your experience. Our culture is always based on what our employees contribute to it. We work really hard to listen to every person on the team and to provide opportunities for each person to make an impact. We truly hope you've found a workplace that's a better fit for you.
2.0
13 Jun 2017

Needs improvement

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Diversity of clients and projects. You could get good experience working on different types of projects depending on what you get assigned to. - Free lunches on Fridays. - In-house designer who can make your report decks look better. This saves some time on your end if you'd rather focus on the analysis and creating the story. - Fast-paced and will force you to learn how to work more efficiently.

Cons

- Doesn't have a collaborative team culture if that's what your preference is, but this might depend on whose team you get put on. - Quality of work is sometimes sacrificed because of pressure to work fast, making mistakes more likely to happen. It's painful to review someone else's work and have to spend time fixing their mistakes when there's a lot of them. - Agree with other reviewers about the lack of transparency and not addressing issues. Doesn't feel like the type of place where you can express your concerns without being viewed negatively.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 28 Reviews

Glassdoor has 29 Murphy Research reviews submitted anonymously by Murphy Research employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Murphy Research is right for you.