Not Good - Editor Time Out Group Employee Review

1.0
22 Mar 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Time Out is a globally recognised brand so working here can boost your resume.

Cons

Toxic work environment - fragmented and at times disdainful relationship between English and Chinese editorial teams (a longstanding problem that had never been properly addressed at the time I worked there, although senior management was fully aware of the situation). Lack of structure - during my tenure, the company was a bit of a free for all, new staff had work piled on them from more experienced staff who knew the 'game' better. Lack of clearly defined roles and leadership allowed for this. Intimidation and pressure coming from management, but, in some cases, no clear idea of what was really needed and so no proper guidance. Horrendous work hours- quantity over quality, 70-80 hour work weeks in some cases when contracted (and paid) for only half that. Quite frankly poor conditions that management didn't care to address because churning out content/short-term gains valued much more than the well-being of staff and the longevity/cohesiveness of the team.

Explore other reviews about Time Out Group

5.0
12 Mar 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good ideas are welcomed from the bottom up, and you can make a real difference. The team is great and managers care.

Cons

Growth mode comes with challenges.

1.0
6 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Two days a week in office

Cons

The NYC office has undoubtedly the worst company culture I have ever experienced. I see a lot of complaints on here about management (which are all accurate), but the staff are unprofessional and rude. The toxic culture makes every RFP (the few we receive) and every live campaign an insufferable experience. On a related note, advertising partners are not supported properly by campaign managers, leading to implementation errors, constant technical/optimization oversights, and ultimately unhappy clients. The lack of accountability/attention to detail has lost us business time and time again, and management continues to turn a blind eye to the systemic issues that have fractured company success. While there are essentially no career growth opportunities, the company is generally a sinking ship that treats valuable employees like they’re disposable but inexplicably keeps the dead weight. Last year, there were multiple rounds of editorial layoffs, and the NY sales team has been a revolving door of both layoffs and departures. The edit layoffs in particular significantly hindered the brand identity we’d been working hard to revitalize, since there was no longer enough staff or budget to execute franchises and custom shoots anymore. Time Out has lost its cool factor because we can’t keep up with the pace and evolution of other digital-first brands. Last but not least, the “office” is essentially a 200 sq ft room with one small conference room (seats 7 but we squeeze 25 people in there for team meetings) and a broken AC/heater. People take work calls sitting in the hallway because there isn’t ample space inside the office. Also… You’ll simultaneously freeze and then overheat in the same day.

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