A fast-growing company is slowing itself down at an even faster pace - Anonymous employee atolls Employee Review

2.0
Sep 25, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Young starters can learn the essentials of online marketing quickly. Depending on your location a genuinely young and international work atmosphere makes it a quite nice place to work at. A recommended starting point for a career in digital marketing.

Cons

There are too many key positions filled with juniors or starters, resulting in too many mistakes at all levels. A lack of training opportunities hinders personal growth. No appreciation for loyal and experienced employees, as well as new ideas, causes a renunciation and of its early days' startup spirit. Thus, errors keep on repeating. Senior management lost grip on what is happening on the work level since they stick together most of the time. Any transparency is not lived by senior management, and is therefore not part of the company culture, resulting in dissolving strings which should normally keep the company together.

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atolls Response
7y
Dear colleague, Thank you for taking the time to write this constructive and detailed feedback! We will certainly discuss this and use it to improve the company - and we hope you will be here to help us along the way! Our employees get a lot of responsibility from day one, this is our way to show our trust in them. Mistakes may happen along the way but this is how we learn and grow - individually as well as on a company level. Our mix of young employees and experienced team members is something we are actually very proud of and we strongly believe that this is one of the things that makes us successful. We have been working on our transparency for quite some time now. Just as an example, during our regular all-hands we give the latest business updates and the whole management team is on site. There is always time for questions and even a tool to send questions in anonymously if you do not feel like speaking in front of the whole office. Please feel free to bring in some ideas on how we could be even more transparent - as well as other ideas on how to further improve GSG, as this is what we aim for. You know where to find us! All the best, Gina

Explore other reviews about atolls

5.0
Dec 6, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Atolls has an incredibly caring management team. They do not shy away from motivating their teams to work hard and achieve lofty goals, but they offer ample support, frequent pulse checks, and actively encourage a healthy work-life balance, motivating employees to maximize their work hours. If you're looking for a workplace devoid of toxicity and who supports your overall career aspirations, this is the place.

Cons

The work here can become rather repetitive. While you have an incredibly large array of client sites to work with, most of your day-to-day duties will look the same. There are still plenty of opportunities for you to take on new projects and mix things up, but your core schedule is very similar day to day.

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atolls Response
1y
Hi, Thank you for sharing your experience as a freelancer with Atolls over the past six years. It’s heartening to hear that you’ve felt supported by our management team and appreciated the motivation, pulse checks, and encouragement for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Creating a positive and supportive environment, even for our freelance team members, is something we strive for every day. We understand that the nature of the work can sometimes feel repetitive, despite the variety of client sites. While there are opportunities to take on new projects, we recognize the importance of keeping daily tasks engaging and will continue exploring ways to enhance the freelance experience. At Atolls, we believe in #StrongerTogether, fostering a culture where every team member, whether full-time or freelance, feels valued and supported in their professional journey. Thank you again for your contributions, and if you’d like to share more, please reach out to our Talent Attraction and Engagement team at tae.team@joingsg.com. Your P&C Team.
5.0
Oct 10, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have sincere confidence and respect in leadership - Gerhard, in particular, is smart, charismatic, deliberate and compassionate. It's easy to believe in him and his vision because he seems very sincere. I've found this to generally trickle down throughout the organization. While not necessarily true of all leaders I've had during the course of my tenure at the company, my current direct manager is pragmatic while still managing business goals, and has respect for a healthy work/life balance. The company leans into a policy of being open, honest and direct. I generally find leadership to be quite transparent - if you're paying attention, you'll know the temperature of the business at any given time, and have a sense of where the company is heading. There are no big secrets (or if there are, they've done such a good at hiding them I'm oblivious). This is one of the rare companies where the people I come into regular contact are good people, supportive of one another, and genuinely working towards common success.

Cons

Look, no company is perfect. Atolls/GSG can sometimes move too slow. And sometimes it can seem to underinvest in what seem like key initiatives. But I believe that leadership is generally self-aware, open to input, and looks to improve in areas of underperformance where it is reasonable and makes sense. Comp is generally aligned to market averages. There are certainly companies that pay more - but will you find the same environment? I'm unsure on career opportunities. It seems like employees in some geos may be better positioned for growth then others.

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atolls Response
1y
Hi, Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback and for your long-term commitment to Atolls. It’s wonderful to hear that you have confidence in our leadership, and that you appreciate the transparency and collaborative spirit within the company. Building trust and a healthy, balanced work environment are essential to us, and it’s gratifying to know that these values resonate with you. We understand your concerns around areas for improvement, such as the pace of change, investment in key initiatives, and career growth opportunities. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we’re actively enhancing our internal growth framework, with specific efforts to increase career mobility across all regions. Additionally, our 2024 initiatives include a refined job architecture and performance review process, designed to make career pathways and development opportunities more transparent and accessible across the organization. At Atolls, our #MoveLearnChange value reflects our commitment to adapting, learning, and growing based on the feedback we receive. We truly appreciate your insights, which help us shape a better experience for everyone. Thank you once again, and please feel free to reach out to our Talent Attraction and Engagement team at tae.team@atolls.com if you’d like to discuss any of these areas further. Your P&C Team
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