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      WFH flexibility overshadowed by overwork and poor culture - Media Planner SMG Employee Review

      1.0
      26 May 2026
      Media planner
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      WFH most days of the month

      Cons

      This company essentially operates as a middleman, producing no specialist output. You will be asked to act as an extension of media owners, pull levers on campaigns, and look after client teams who are unfriendly or do not understand how to work as a team. You will be overworked and cry - you will be asked to go above and beyond, but you will not be paid for it - the bonus is just a joke, and you will never see progress

      avatar
      SMG Response
      2d
      Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased to hear that the flexibility of our hybrid working approach was a positive aspect of your experience with SMG. We're sorry to hear that your time with us did not meet your expectations and that you felt unsupported by workload pressures and career progression opportunities. We recognise that having the right levels of support, development and resourcing is essential to creating a positive employee experience, and we continue to review these areas as our business evolves. We appreciate you sharing your perspective and thank you for your contribution during your time at SMG. We wish you all the best for the future.

      Explore other reviews about SMG

      5.0
      17 Apr 2025
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      People are really engaged and excited to collaborate. The management are really open and honest about the company and always willing to give up their time

      Cons

      Hours can be long, however it always feels like this is rewarded.

      1
      avatar
      SMG Response
      1y
      Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We’re really pleased to hear that you've had such a positive experience at SMG and that our collaborative culture and open communication from leadership have stood out during your time here. We’re especially glad to hear that you feel supported and that the energy and engagement of your colleagues continue to make a meaningful difference, our people are at the heart of what makes SMG a great place to work.
      3.0
      29 May 2026
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      - Similar-minded colleagues make an enjoyable work environment. - Flexible working schedule is useful. - Managers offer freedom to develop, and work autonomously. - Good progression opportunities (only if you're lucky).

      Cons

      - The workload is AWFUL. You see it mentioned on almost every review on here, spanning years back, and they provide the same response about how they're working on it or actively looking at it. I can assure you that is a complete and utter lie. They do absolutely nothing to try and make workloads manageable, as they are constantly trying to cut costs, streamline teams, and most recently force redundancies and pay freezes. They may act performative on LinkedIn professing how much they care about your wellbeing, but they most definitely do not take any steps to make the job manageable within the time you have, and therefore everybody is stressed out and overworked. (I am sure they will provide the same banal AI-generated response here about how they're committed to making workloads more manageable, or something along those lines. Don't believe them.) - Base salaries are not competitive (partly why there's such high turnover). £33k for a Senior Executive role in London is terrible. You will also struggle to progress from there in most teams. - Disorganisation. Processes are convoluted, tedious, and waste lots of time. Too much admin & trivial nonsense is a large reason why the workload is too high (they have no idea how to solve this by the way).

      1
      avatar
      SMG Response
      2d
      Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback and for your contribution during your time at SMG. We're pleased to hear that you valued the support of your colleagues, the flexibility available, and the autonomy provided by managers to help people develop in their roles. Creating an environment where people can do their best work is something we deeply care about. We also recognise the concerns you've raised around workload, processes, and remuneration. We understand that these areas can have a significant impact on employee experience, and we're sorry to hear that this was your experience during your time with us. As our business continues to evolve, we regularly review how work is prioritised, how teams are structured, and how our processes support people in delivering great work as effectively as possible. We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective and wish you every success in the future.
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