Accelerated Digital Media Reviews

Some of my frustrations while working in a leadership role for ADM included: - Compensation. They pay below market but expect elite performance. ADM has a bonus structure in place for senior team members; they re-structured it this year so that bonuses only get paid out after 3 years of continued employment, and only if the company hits its (ambitious) growth goals. They don't have outside funding so they don't have cash, and it's the current employees who bear the burden of that. - Micro management from leadership. The 3 most senior (white, male) members on the team have been at ADM the longest and have a really difficult time of incorporating other viewpoints or ways of working into their processes and structures. - No media experience. There is a definite lack of top-down understanding about the time, money, and talent investment required to run a modern multi-channel digital media agency. ADM is trying to grow its reputation from an agency that executes paid search performance marketing campaigns to a multi-channel media management agency; however, everyone who works at ADM has a paid search background. One would think that given the lack of familiarity with media outside of paid search, ADM would be receptive to guidance on how to build up their other teams, but that was not my experience. - Not family friendly. ADM talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk on work/ life balance. Employees are valued based on their ability to work long hours and take on as much work as they can. The expectations for leadership roles are sky high, and if you're not able or willing to dedicate every waking hour to your career, ADM is not going to be a fit for you.