The truth (welcome to the woodchipper) - Anonymous employee Directive Employee Review

1.0
3 Mar 2021
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Worked with really talented people (all of whom left within the a year of working at Directive).

Cons

First, read the Jan 7, 2021 review below as well. They're a bit more brave than I am with sharing the reality of Directive and it is 100% accurate. 95% of my team quit within the time I was working there. One VP quit and another was fired for trying to improve the agency. I had 3 different directors. People are rewarded for loyalty, not results. Mental, physical, and/or emotional health is a big reason for leaving. You'll be burned out within 3-6 months and then spend another 3-6 months trying to keep your head above water while you find a new job. Want to take a week off? Only if you can get 2 weeks worth of work done ahead of time. The ones who stayed have been moved to sales roles (because sales pipeline is all that matters there). This place is especially toxic, has zero diversity, and the environment is horrific if you're a woman. The only people who thrive here are people who went to college with management, or are part of the "so-cal boys club." Management even abandoned their Austin office to move back to socal. Read the management replies to other reviews as well. The level of gaslighting you see in all of them is how he views the world. I expect the same reply to mine. Finally, all positive reviews you're reading are written by current employees and likely in response to management talking about the bad reviews on here. He doesn't *ask* for positive reviews, but it was implied. You don't dare stand up to leadership, there. People are afraid to leave reviews like this for that reason.

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Directive Response
5y
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate your perspective and look forward to making Directive a little better every day. We won't stop trying to get better and I hope you find what you are looking for at your next job. - Garrett

Explore other reviews about Directive

5.0
25 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Before accepting the COO role at Directive, I reviewed Glassdoor just like you might be doing now. I saw comments that gave me pause. I believe in being transparent- those concerns are valid, and they’re part of our history. Here’s why I joined anyway: the people here are exceptional. Directive has incredible talent, energy, and potential. At the same time, we know there are areas where we need to evolve, both culturally and operationally. That’s exactly why I came onboard: to help lead that change. We’ve already begun building a clear vision for where Directive is going. One that focuses on empowering employees, creating career pathways, and building a culture that makes people proud to be here. My commitment as COO is to ensure that this becomes not just a strong agency to work for, but the premier place to grow a career in digital marketing. If the reviews here make you uncertain about accepting a role, please feel free to reach out directly. I’m more than happy to connect, share what we’re working on, and give you a firsthand perspective on the progress we’re making.

Cons

Currently, no cons to note. Only opportunities for growth.

8
5.0
24 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you want to work with the best and the brightest in the industry, this is where you want to be. The paid media and the SEO strategists and associate directors are some of the smartest I've ever come across, and you'll get to work on some of the biggest named accounts in the tech saas space. On the content/SEO side, we're creating content that clients are excited by because we have a real POV on GEO and LLM optimization. I legitimately learn something new from my teammates every day as it relates to LLMs and am doing some of the coolest work to date. We invest in our own AI and also new tech, which means we have every tool at our disposal, we're never short on resources from that perspective.

Cons

This place is simply not for everyone. It's competitive and fast-paced. Our clients are the biggest names in the industry so they have high expectations - as a result, the bar is set really high for all of us. The pace can absolutely be stressful when everything stacks up during QBR season and we have competing priorities and initiatives, so if you can't balance and don't know how rank / prioritize you'll break. If you do this well, you'll do just fine, in fact you'll thrive.

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