Vantaggi
I’ve always felt supported and heard at GTMA. Management genuinely values employee ideas and feedback. I have monthly one-on-one meetings with my manager where I can openly discuss any concerns, celebrate victories, acknowledge setbacks, and simply check in on my professional and personal well-being. I’ve forged a strong, transparent, and personal relationship with my manager, which I truly value. We’re a fully remote company, and many of us appreciate the flexibility this offers. GTMA places a strong emphasis on work-life balance and encourages team members not to check emails or messages while they’re off-duty. Overtime is only encouraged with absolutely necessary. Our leadership team is made up of outstanding individuals. They’re not only great leaders but also approachable, fun, and easy to talk to. Our new CEO Barrie is particularly noteworthy for promoting a positive work environment and participating in company culture. He genuinely seeks to build connections with every team member. His efforts and demeanor are admirable considering how busy and taxing his role is. We have a very collaborative atmosphere with lots of synergy between departments, offering ample opportunities for learning across the agency. We’ve established GTMA U, a series of training seminars led by team members, covering various specializations. It’s a fantastic way to expand our marketing knowledge beyond our individual niches. Additionally, team members can contribute to public-facing blogs on relevant topics. Our company is in a constant state of evolution, which means there are plenty of opportunities for team members to fill gaps and grow. We prioritize internal promotions, giving employees the chance to move up or cross-over roles within the agency. Many team members have the freedom to create their own positions, aligning both GTMA’s needs and their personal career aspirations. I’ve seen some positive changes in terms of turnover and mindset surrounding hiring. The turnover rate, which used to be a common concern in previous reviews, has noticeably decreased. In the past, some team members were informed that GTMA was merely a stepping-stone, but I believe this mindset has shifted significantly. Average tenure at the company appears to be steadily increasing. In my experience, GTMA is a great employer if you’re willing to invest your energy and commitment. If you work hard, actively participate, approach conversations with honesty and openness, conquer any fears of failure or imposter syndrome, and view each project as an exciting challenge rather than mere “work,” you’ll thrive at GTMA.
Svantaggi
GTMA has a significant partnership with a Christian media organization, where we engage in a substantial amount of work. It’s worth noting that this isn’t an issue for some, but employees aren’t given the option to choose whether to work on projects for this organization. Given our leadership’s direct ties to the organization, there’s no room to opt out. Overall, this hasn’t posed a significant problem yet, but I’ve personally encountered situations where I felt uncomfortable due to certain stances taken by the organization. In one particular instance, a team member suggested I pray while working on projects for them. Religion, like politics, is a sensitive topic, especially in a professional setting. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, it shouldn’t be imposed on team members, especially those who joined GTMA primarily to work for GTMA and not this organization. In my specific role, the workload can vary significantly. There are times when I find myself with a lot of downtime and I’m left trying to piece together tasks to stay busy. This situation is somewhat common in agency work, but it becomes more frustrating with promises of increased work and expectations of an impending “busy period” go unfulfilled. To address bandwidth issues, the agency seems to prefer outsourcing work or collaborating with freelancers rather than hiring full-time or part-time employees or promoting part-time employees to full-time roles. It's also challenging maintaining consistent communication and quality work with these outside entities As a fully remote team, our company culture is lacking. In the past, when GTMA was Vancouver-based and operated in an office, it had a vibrant culture with events and camaraderie. However, that aspect is almost non-existent now. Attempts to foster culture involve forced meetings between departments, icebreaker questions in the all-staff chat, and awkward virtual events with limited attendance and participation. We have minimal all-company meetings, and employees often have to take the initiative to create culture by making group chats or planning their own social events. While building culture remotely is undoubtedly challenging, it currently lacks authenticity and genuine fun. Participation often feels forced if you want any interaction with the company outside of your direct team. There is occasionally a feeling of disorganization within the company, with a tendency to rush into projects without proper planning, giving the company a start-up-like “figure it out as we go” feel. This leads to taking on projects that exceed our capacity or expertise, which then results in dealing with dissatisfied clients for not delivering as promised. The compensation at GTMA needs improvement. While my personal wage is livable and I appreciate receiving a yearly raise and end-of-year bonus, I can’t help but feel that my loyalty might be taken for granted, as I know I could be earning more with a lower-level title elsewhere. Also, the health benefits are less than ideal. My feelings about the remote work environment are mixed. While I can perform my job effectively and value the flexibility, I’ve grappled with intense feelings of isolation and burnout due to the lack of variety in my days, weeks, and months.