GroupM is one of the world’s largest media investment companies and part of WPP, the world’s largest advertising and marketing services group. With over 30,000 employees in more than 100 countries, GroupM has a major presence globally and works with some of the biggest brands and agencies. But is it a good place to work? Here we’ll examine the key factors to consider if you’re thinking about a career with GroupM.
Company Overview
GroupM was formed in 2003 to serve as the parent company for WPP’s media agencies including Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker and Essence. It provides a range of media services including strategy, planning, buying, analytics and more. The company has a stated mission to maximize the performance of its clients’ media and marketing investments. Some key facts about GroupM:
- Headquartered in New York City
- Employs over 30,000 people worldwide
- Operates in over 100 countries
- Billings of over $63 billion in 2021
- Works with 90% of the world’s largest advertisers
- Named the world’s largest media investment company by billings
With its scale and global footprint, GroupM wields substantial influence in the media and advertising industry. It represents an attractive place for media professionals looking to work with major brands on large, sophisticated campaigns with worldwide impact.
Company Culture and Values
Understanding a company’s culture and values can provide insight into how enjoyable and fulfilling it will be to work there. Here are some of the core elements of GroupM’s culture:
Collaboration
GroupM emphasizes collaboration both within and across its agency brands. Employees are encouraged to work together to develop integrated solutions rather than operate in silos. There are also opportunities to collaborate internationally through GroupM’s global network.
Thought Leadership
GroupM prides itself on thought leadership in areas like data analytics, digital media and more. Its annual This Year Next Year forecast report is closely watched across the industry. Employees are encouraged to think innovatively about the future of media.
Agility
The company values the ability to respond quickly to changing market conditions and client needs. Employees are expected to operate comfortably amid frequent change and disruption.
Diversity and Inclusion
GroupM states that diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to its culture. It has employee networks for women, people of color, LGBTQ employees and more. However, some employees have criticized progress in this area as being too slow.
Work/Life Balance
The company offers flexible work arrangements to help employees achieve better work/life balance. However, the workload at times can become intense given client demands.
Career Growth and Development
For ambitious professionals, a company’s approach to career development is often a top consideration. Here is GroupM’s approach:
Training Programs
GroupM provides access to specialized training through GroupM University. Courses cover areas like leadership, digital media, analytics and more. There are also programs focused specifically on nurturing high-potential future leaders.
Global Mobility
Working across different geographic markets is encouraged. GroupM highlights international secondments as a way to broaden experience and perspective.
Promoting From Within
Many of the company’s senior leaders were promoted from within. GroupM states that merit and results are the key factors in advancement, rather than outside hiring.
Career Paths
Employees have access to different career paths focused on areas like strategy, investment, analytics, digital media and leadership. This allows specialization in an area of interest.
Learning Culture
GroupM encourages on-the-job learning and provides access to guidance/mentorship from leaders. However, the degree of support can vary across different teams and offices.
Compensation and Benefits
For any job, the compensation and benefits package is important to consider. Here are some details on what GroupM offers:
Salary
Salaries at GroupM are competitive with others in the media investment industry. Pay is performance-based, with top performers earning substantially more. Here are average reported salaries for some common positions:
| Position | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Account Manager | $60,000 |
| Campaign Manager | $85,000 |
| Media Planner | $75,000 |
| Media Buyer | $90,000 |
Bonuses
Employees are eligible for annual bonuses based on performance and company profitability. Bonuses can range from 5% to 20%+ of base salary for strong performers.
Benefits
GroupM offers a suite of benefits including health/dental insurance, 401(k) plan with match, disability insurance, life insurance, parental leave, performance bonuses and more. Benefits vary based on office location.
Work Environment
GroupM aims to provide an energetic, fast-paced work environment. Offices are modern with amenities like gyms and cafes in many locations. However, the workload can be demanding at times.
Work-Life Balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is key for employee satisfaction and wellbeing. Here is GroupM’s approach:
Flexibility
GroupM offers flexible work schedules and the ability to occasionally work from home. This helps provide more balance for employees.
Time Off
Employees receive an average of 15 paid vacation days per year, along with paid sick leave. Parental leave and sabbaticals are also provided.
Overwork Culture
While flexibility is offered, the workload at GroupM can be intense. Tight client deadlines sometimes require long hours and weekend work.
Employee Engagement
GroupM encourages bonding and friendships among coworkers through employee events, clubs, volunteering activities and more.
Remote Work
During the pandemic, GroupM transitioned to fully remote work. It plans to allow more ongoing remote work flexibility, though most positions will still be office-based once COVID-19 restrictions lift.
Opportunities for Advancement
For employees seeking to advance their careers, the opportunities to progress to higher roles is important to weigh. Here is how GroupM stacks up:
Management Track
There are well-defined pathways to move into team leader, management and senior leadership roles for strong performers seeking to advance.
International Mobility
GroupM encourages movement between global offices. This provides opportunities to take on larger roles by moving abroad.
Education Support
GroupM offers tuition assistance and access to management training programs to help employees develop skills for advancement.
Limits to Advancement
Some employees have expressed frustration at slow advancement and lack of visibility into promotion criteria compared to other large agencies.
Leadership Access
Junior employees often have limited exposure to executive leadership compared to smaller companies.
Job Security and Stability
When assessing a potential employer, it’s prudent to consider its financial health and stability. Here’s GroupM’s situation:
Scale and Influence
As part of WPP and the world’s largest media buyer, GroupM enjoys substantial resources and influence with media partners. This grants it stability.
Client Base
GroupM’s blue-chip client roster of major brands provides steady ongoing business and revenue.
Industry Connections
With its established industry leadership position, GroupM is deeply embedded into the advertising ecosystem.
Recent Revenue and Growth
The company has delivered steady revenue growth of 5-10% annually in recent years. Here are GroupM’s reported global revenues over the past 5 years:
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $19.6 billion |
| 2019 | $21.2 billion |
| 2020 | $22.5 billion |
| 2021 | $24.2 billion |
| 2022 | $26.5 billion |
This steady growth provides financial stability.
Industry Changes
Disruption in the media and advertising industry requires GroupM to adapt quickly to stay relevant. This contributes some instability.
Overall Employee Satisfaction
To gauge overall employee attitudes about GroupM, we can look at data from job sites and review sites:
Glassdoor Rating
Employees give GroupM an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, based on over 600 reviews. The positives highlighted are smart colleagues, big-name clients, and exposure to industry leaders. Negatives mentioned include bureaucracy and mediocre work-life balance.
Comparable Industry Ratings
GroupM’s 3.5 star rating is moderate compared to competitors in the media space. For example, IPG Mediabrands earns 3.7 stars while Dentsu receives 3.6 stars. So employee satisfaction appears average.
Indeed Reviews
On Indeed.com, current and past employees give GroupM an average rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars. Positives mentioned include opportunities to learn and advance. Negatives highlight inconsistent management and cliquey corporate culture in some offices.
CEO Approval
Christian Juhl took over as Global CEO of GroupM in 2020. He earns a 67% approval rating from employees on Glassdoor, suggesting decent confidence in leadership.
Conclusion
In summary, GroupM offers a lot of upside as an employer, but also some potential drawbacks to consider:
Positives
- Industry leader with opportunity for large-scale impact
- Access to strong training programs
- Competitive pay with performance-based bonuses
- Well-defined career advancement paths
- Excellent job stability and resources
Potential Drawbacks
- Heavy workload and overtime hours
- Slower advancement than smaller companies
- Bureaucracy and lack of executive access for junior staff
- Average employee satisfaction ratings
- Challenging work-life balance
Overall, GroupM seems like a strong place to accelerate your media career due to the resources, training and industry opportunities available. However, employees may face a challenging workload and slower career progression than at a smaller employer. For patient professionals willing to pay their dues, GroupM can be an excellent launching pad. But for those seeking fast advancement and greater work-life balance, other employers may be a better cultural fit.
