Burnout to Ashes - Associate SOG Design Employee Review

1.0
17 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good salary and benefits. Portfolio-worthy projects and clients which keep coming.

Cons

1. Profit over people Leadership prioritizes margins at the expense of employees. Turnover is constant—resignations happen almost weekly—yet layoffs continue despite clear manpower shortages. 2. Toxic, blame-driven culture There is a strong blame culture reinforced by a boys’ club mentality. Mistakes are called out publicly, even in front of clients, with accountability pushed downward rather than owned at leadership level. 3. Operational chaos There are no clear job scopes, no structured execution processes, and no defined team hierarchy. Expectations shift without alignment, leaving teams directionless. 4. Perpetual firefighting Work is reactive rather than planned. Long hours are the norm, and maintaining boundaries is effectively impossible. 5. Lack of ownership and continuity Resources are shuffled constantly, sometimes weekly, resulting in fragmented responsibility. People are reduced to task executors rather than empowered contributors. 6. Lack of psychological safety Employees are not set up to raise concerns or admit mistakes without fear of public criticism. 7. Unsustainable workload expectations Workload and timelines often require consistent overtime, making long-term sustainability difficult.

Explore other reviews about SOG Design

1.0
12 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Competitive benefits and salary. Fairly prestigious projects & well renowned client pool.

Cons

Imagine working in an environment where almost everyone — except perhaps three people in upper management — is constantly miserable, exhausted, and stressed. There are no smiles, no casual conversations, no sense of camaraderie; only a constant atmosphere of dread. Many staff struggle with anxiety and sleep deprivation, not only because of the relentless overtime, but because of the psychological stress created by the workplace itself. Some employees have even sought therapy as a result. The causes are numerous, and many are classic signs of a toxic work culture: blame-shifting, fear-driven management, lack of support, and an absence of accountability from leadership. What makes it worse is that upper management remains deeply in denial despite repeated feedback and warnings from senior staff over the years. The reality is simple: they know there is a problem, but they refuse to change.

1
4.0
10 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Passionate design team committed to producing high-quality work Interesting and diverse projects that offer strong exposure and learning opportunities

Cons

High project volume vs manpower Many concurrent projects but limited resources which can lead to workload pressure.

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