Reviews by job title

20 reviews
5.0
16 Jun 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Engaging projects, Respectful coworkers/management, cooperative attitude, decent work/life balance, cares about your growth within company

Cons

Must go into the office 3 times a week, lack of transparency in resourcing/salary

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Wolff Olins Response
2y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Thank you for sharing and I'm so pleased you're enjoying the work and the environment with us. I know the team are working hard to ensure there's balance combined with lots of opportunities to grow so it's especially good to know that's coming through. Although there's always more work to do of course! I know our drive to have folks in the studio throughout the week isn't loved by all, but it is important for culture and community building and I do appreciate the efforts everyone is making as we want to protect and grow what makes us so special. On resourcing and salary, there shouldn't really be a lack of transparency as we have various frameworks in place to avoid this, so that's a worry. Do please reach out to your community lead and/or HR for greater clarity or come and find me and I'll be happy to help so you don't feel in the dark at all.
3.0
4 Oct 2021

Great work

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Always a great client list with interesting projects to work on

Cons

Distant management style who don’t always listen

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Wolff Olins Response
4y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Thank you for taking time out to share your feedback and I'm really glad to know you enjoyed working with our clients and teams. We're very fortunate to be working on amazing things with amazing people! I also note your comment on listening and have picked that up with our local team to explore further.
4.0
31 Aug 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Talented individuals delivering wonderful work, making an inspiring and motivating workplace. Good social culture, lots of diversity and great passion for the work being delivered. Lots of female leaders which is always lovely to see.

Cons

High workload which tends to push people to burn out. Inconsistent progression review system, where they seem to fast track designers over other teams in the business. Better management and training opportunities in some departments compared to others. Few elements of the job role mis-sold upon interview. Omnicom restrictions also limit and slow down implementation of new processes so it stops the agency from being as agile and adaptive to new trends and tech as it could be.

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Wolff Olins Response
3y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Thanks for taking time out to share your feedback. It's great to know that you're finding our team and the work inspiring - love that! And to hear that we're hitting the right notes in terms of our culture, diversity and female leadership as these are all things we really care about. You raise important points that I've picked up with our internal team. We're currently going through our regular review/progression cycle and I think a lot of what you cover will be addressed as part of that - do come and find me if not. On Omnicom, I probably get to see more of the positive aspects they offer us in terms of training opportunities, DE&I initiatives etc. Nevertheless, there are things that should be improved and I regularly raise issues like those you have identified to press for positive improvements – so keep them coming!
5.0
8 Oct 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Small enough to be tight-knit, but with outsized impact. - Clients and briefs that get you excited. - Exposure to senior client leadership from day one – including at a junior level. - A belief that great ideas can come from anywhere – leading to truly non-hierarchical project teams, a healthy culture of debate around the work, and an emphasis on continuous learning. - Super bright, talented, hard-working, friendly, down to earth people – all of whom go above and beyond for the work and for each other. - Really diverse mix of backgrounds, experiences, and interests. - No hard divide between strategy, design, and programme management – the work feels collaborative and creative throughout. - Lots of interesting events, activities, and external speakers. - Very informal and good fun - you can totally be yourself.

Cons

Lack of transparency around pay and progression - great work and talent are recognised and celebrated, but the translation of this into pay rises and progression can feel slow.

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Wolff Olins Response
5y
Hi - it's Sairah here. You put a huge smile on my face reading your feedback, it's the best of Wolff Olins and makes me (and all of us) work even harder to make the place special. It's great to know that you can be yourself and don't feel any barriers to growing with us - a credit to our culture and our London team. I hear you on pay and progression, and absolutely recognise how important it is. We're working on making our approach clearer and faster moving based on the feedback you and others have shared. And we have lots of great opportunities available in our pipeline to help everyone grow and progress this year. Thanks for sharing and making the place and work so great.
2.0
21 May 2025

Good until it's not

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you're lucky, you'll work with teams who respect each other and put out world-class work. Most people genuinely care about each other and truly operate as a team. Working for well-established agency allows for instill trust from the clients who want to work with us. The Wolff Olins name still has weight to it and it will open doors for staff when they decide to leave. Free lunch twice a week in addition to fresh bagels every morning (provided by OMC).

Cons

Management, or what's left of it, is a complete mess. Inconsistent communication, endlessly changing processes and protocols formed by being reactive (instead of proactive) thus not making sense or being useful. There are a few office gossips who will make sure that news is spread before anyone even knew it was news. Some of those people sit in higher positions. You really need to watch what you're saying as you can almost always be assured it'll be shared widely. Pressure to perform but no incentives (bonuses, raises, or promotions) as the company refuses to understand how to win against their competitors. Resulted in multiple rounds of layoffs with nearly half of the headcount from a year ago remaining. Yet somehow everyone on the operations team still stands. What's left to operate? Feels very stubborn in thinking that we're always the best fit for clients, often showing up as cocky in a pitch. Inability to adapt to the current market. Incredibly top-heavy, making upward growth nearly impossible and making the few mid-level team members constantly on the hook for all of the work. Lack of interest to hire more junior and mid-level talent as nobody "has time" to manage or mentor. Lastly, Omnicom is such a stain on the organization. The hammer comes down and suddenly we are confined to Teams, confined to stringent in-office policies, confined to not being able to use tools because OMC doesn't approve them. Wolff Olins will never be the "best" or "coolest" agency because nobody wants to deal with the bureaucracy. Lastly, where's the DEI? Management and nearly all team leads are white. You cannot tote being diverse if your only diverse staff are confined to the same team or job seniority. Morale is so low after a year of layoffs, distrust, change backed by no rationale, and lack of new work. Everyone is looking for jobs, and if they're not, they really should be. The pro's do not outweigh the con's here.

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Wolff Olins Response
1y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review. I’m glad to hear that you’ve experienced the strength of our teams, the support people give each other, and the pride that comes from working at Wolff Olins. It’s wonderful to know that our name and our work continue to open doors for people, and that the culture of care and collaboration is still felt (and lunch is good too!). That said, I hear your concerns loud and clear, and I want to acknowledge how tough things have been recently. The current economic environment, the resulting uncertainty in our industry and the impact of layoffs everywhere are all very real and have affected us in different ways. You can be sure that I take your points about management, communication, and morale very seriously. These are not the experiences I want anyone to have, and while it’s clear we have work to do, I also feel we're on the right track, gaining momentum and that more positive times are ahead. Our clients are great, our work is great, and our people are great - we have the most brilliant ingredients to get back to our best very quickly. Regarding gossip, lack of transparency, and a feeling of being undervalued or unsupported - this isn't what any of us want, and it's not what we're about. With the help of our local leadership team, each will be addressed. I know recent changes have been unsettling, and there's an awful lot more in your feedback that I'd love to talk about - let's pick that up internally. Thank you for your honesty and for caring enough to share in the meantime. And do drop me a line privately if you'd like to, or reach out to Jill or your community lead, so we can keep moving things forward together.
5.0
4 Oct 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Authentic, optimistic, collaborative culture The best work in the industry created by wonderful smart colleagues Dynamic and fun environment, new and old blood all great thinkers and sharers Attracts brilliant and ambitious clients The business has a point of view and strong leadership from the top All disciplines (program management, design and strategy) are empowered and celebrated, and work in as a team Opportunity to rise and have impact

Cons

Sometimes there can appear to be restrictions from holding company Omnicom but Sairah does a great job leveraging the scale, resources & access from Omnicom to everyone’s benefit and minimizing any over management of a business that still feels very independent in spirit.

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Wolff Olins Response
5y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Thank you for taking time out to share your thoughts and I'm so pleased you enjoyed your time with us. Our culture and people are what makes the place so special and the work so good - thank you for being part of it. And also for your advice - I agree and we will.
5.0
14 Jan 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Caring management team - Interesting and varied work - I feel we're making a positive impact in the world - Excellent working conditions - Great teamwork with top class teams - Great benefits

Cons

Could be more ethnically diverse but they are making steps to address this both at Wolff Olins and even in other creative agencies through collaborations with the Brixton Finishing School and other programmes. Parent company can sometimes make the ease of work a struggle.

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Wolff Olins Response
3y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Such a lovely review and thoughtful feedback - thank you! It's especially great to hear you mention our caring management team and our desire to make a positive difference, including for our own people through tangible things like our benefits. I definitely hear you on diversity, and diversity in all its many beautiful forms. We're committed for the long-term, will keep at it and appreciate both yours and all the valuable thoughts that came through in our recent survey ... keep them coming and we'll get to where we want to be!
3.0
19 Jan 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working with highly talented and creative people. Free breakfast and snacks.

Cons

It feels like back in the art school which is good in a way but it’s still a company…. Their management needs a lot of improvement.

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Wolff Olins Response
3y
Hi - it's Sairah here. Gosh, I'm really sorry to hear that you haven't had a great experience with us - that makes me very sad. I'm glad you enjoyed the nourishment of our wonderful people and food at least! I'll certainly dig into your feedback to see what we can improve and thank you for sharing your feedback. In the meantime, I'd love to wish you well in your adventures and hope you find a more positive fit in your new home.
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