Pros
Any pros worth mentioning (at least in my case) are mostly what's left from the previous agencies and hasn't been scrapped yet due to contractual obligations. But even those (decent private healthcare, remote-first, flexible working, unlimited holidays, team socials, an existing team and work culture) are gradually disappearing. More often than not, the job you applied for is no longer existing.
Cons
Okay. Deep breath. Let’s dive into the fever dream that is GAIN. Imagine taking several thriving agencies — real, functioning, adult organisations — and smashing them together like a toddler mixing Play-Doh colours. Add some brand-new business units created seemingly on a dare. Stir. Out pops GAIN: the company that loudly proclaims “WE ARE ONE TEAM!” while every department behaves like they’re in witness protection and must never, under ANY circumstances, communicate. We were fed these whimsical promises of “endless opportunities” and “interdisciplinary growth.” Spoiler: the only thing that grew was the list of redundant roles. Whole teams vanished overnight like they were part of a controlled demolition. If you survived, congrats — you probably woke up one morning with a job description you’d never seen before and newfound responsibilities no one will train you for. But don’t worry! They’ll absolutely criticise you for not being instantly brilliant at this job you didn’t know you had. Management is its own tragicomic subplot. One day they’re here, the next day they’ve disintegrated into the ether like Marvel characters after a bad snap. Not replaced, not explained — simply gone. In their place appear individuals whose main qualification seems to be “was standing nearby.” Some of them should not be left alone with sharp objects, let alone put in charge of departments. Then there was the new slogan — something inspirational like “we’re not corporate.” Which is hilarious, because within weeks the structure became so intensely corporate that I’m convinced they’re speed-running the creation of a bureaucracy singularity. Every decision requires approval from your manager’s manager’s manager’s manager’s manager, who is probably an AI at this point. Or a ghost. Hard to tell. Unsurprisingly, clients have noticed. Hard NOT to when their account teams change more often than the weather and planning meetings feel like séance sessions trying to summon someone who knows what's going on. Instead of fixing the obvious internal chaos, the go-to solution is — wait for it — upselling. Because nothing says “premium service” like charging extra while everything is on fire. Meanwhile, the employees? Most of us are trapped in jobs we didn’t choose, earning less than the industry standard, trying to navigate a culture that does not exist except as a rumour told by survivors. There are days when it genuinely feels like the leadership team is conducting an experiment titled “What Happens If We Just… Stop Doing Anything?” Spoiler: we’re finding out.