Ink reviews

Where do I begin? Terribly micro-managed, sales executives are treated like children and not like professionals. You are forced to hand in 100 so called leads every 2 weeks which is checked by your manager, as they do not trust you enough to do your job. Staff are forced to participate in ludicrous "energy sessions" in the morning (and at any other time the deluded, self titled, Chief Inkspiration Officer decides he is bored and wants to toy with the staff). Energy sessions involve: - running around the office - throwing balls around - conga lines up and down the building and even in the street (this really does happen) - aerobics, ironically led by one 24 stone manager. - clapping when instructed to (by management and the Chief Inkspiration Officer) - random Flashmobs in the street - generally any type of activity that grown adults last participated in when they were 4-5 years old in nursery. If staff don't participate in these demeaning activities then they are brought into disciplinary meetings where they are asked and told "why they are you being disruptive?", "you don't believe in the company", "do you not want to work here?", "You better join in tomorrow!". There is no guidance by management, no strategy, no thinking, no planning you are just told to "get on the phones". The motto of the company is a "deal a day" as they need a deal a day just to survive due to clients canceling all the time. They are heavily dependent on new business as the product doesn't work and they are incapable as a company of developing long term relationships with clients and media buyers. Clients are totally dissatisfied as they are being lied to about passenger numbers, print run numbers, distribution of the magazines. WORST THING ABOUT INK - COMMISSION STRUCTURE! Ridiculous commission structure which was introduced to apparently improve the quality of pitches made by sales executives. In reality, it is a scheme to reduce the amount of commission that sales executives earn. - All calls are recorded, sales executives are supposed to send 10 "Effective" calls a day. - Calls are then graded by managers to see if they are "Effective". - If over the course of a month, you submit 100 "Effective" calls then you get 10% on anything you sell. Problem is - Difficult to contact 10 decision makers every single day, quality of "Effective" calls becomes diluted as sales executive then resort to phoning up kebab shop owners in Benidorm to get their numbers up. - Managers have too much work to do, too many calls to listen to, would rather go to the pub than listen to calls. - Commission % is a lucky dip, maybe if you are nice to your managers, make them coffee and compliment them on their golf swing then you might get lucky and get 6.7% on the hard work you put in that month. There is no chance to progress, to become a manager you have to fully immerse yourself in the INK CULT. If you are looking to develop a career in media then stay away from INK. However, if you are looking to be belittled, learn nothing, have your managers listen to all of your calls, read all of your emails (sometimes before you even get a chance to) or if you are just looking to lose a part of your soul - then INK is the place for you.

A culture of bullying both on sales floor and elsewhere in the company. Strange management clique who too often spout gibberish and are abusive either in a passive-aggressive way or just openly hostile. Rumours of sexual harrassment. Generally produce magazines/websites that are unimaginative and all too often identikit copies of one another even down to same headlines and sections. Rather dull products that lack flair, quality and insight. Absence of creative leadership. Far too often the corporate culture is about cutting corners and saving money. Revolving door across departments. Very few people last longer than a couple of years.