Sandbox Studio Reviews

2.6

30% would recommend to a friend

(39 total reviews)

Myles Peacock

5% approve of CEO

14% positive business outlook

Sandbox Studio has an employee rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars, based on 39 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Sandbox Studio employee rating is 30% below average for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

39 reviews
2.0
17 Mar 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great place to network if you see yourself going freelance, but need a place to start your career.

Cons

Not a place you want to be at for more than a year because there is zero potential for growth. They were bought by Creative Drive which is has a hyper corporate mentality and only see money from their employees and money from their clients. If it isn't about their self interest and profit they don't care. There used to be snack time, team outings, company retreats and holiday parties, managers that were motivational and that was all cut. The whole part of working at a studio is for a fun and creative environment that has caring manager. The good ones have left and all that's left are type-a personalities that are being sucked dry of anything good. The clients are even moving away because the producers can't provide the small family style perks that once were: wine, treats, FRIENDLINESS. It's all just about profit now. It's become a soul sucking factory. And all the assistant and junior staff are completely not paid competitively. No raises for three plus year. Really not worth the ride.

avatar
Sandbox Studio Response
9y
Thank you for sharing your feedback and comments. We're sad to hear that you're not having the experience you would like to have. We do care about our associates, and there is no reason you shouldn't still be doing the fun things that are part of working in the fun, creative environment. Most of our studios embrace the fun along with the work. They held fun holiday parties/outings and have other fun activities throughout the year. We make all of the resources to have the fun activities available, so if you're not seeing those types of activities, let your manager know you want them. We are very proud of the talent that works here and celebrate everyone's hard work and creative eye. If you have concerns about your compensation, we encourage you to speak with your manager directly. Thank you for your continued hard work and all you do to keep the company moving forward.
1.0
8 Jul 2019

Not a great place to work

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They are trying to sell the company. Large change is needed and hopefully a new buyer will be able to take Sandbox where it belongs.

Cons

Terrible leadership in the Portland office. Clueless. Indifferent. Vain. Absent. When actual management was needed they seemed way in over their heads. Perhaps the New York office is different? A bottomline only approach is taken with everything, and as a result the company probably ends up spending dimes to save nickels. Team members leave and are not replaced (good for the bottomline right?) but then their work will fall into the lap of others. Its all pretty messy right now because they're trying to sell the company and emphasis has been placed on creating the appearance of a healthy business, instead of just running one.

avatar
Sandbox Studio Response
6y
Thank you for taking time to leave feedback. You're correct, no one is perfect and there is always room to grow. We don't believe in arguing with ex-employees, nor do we do so. It is; however, appropriate, and a Glassdoor best practice, to respond to reviews so that readers have a complete view as opposed to a one-sided perspective. Our goal is to grow the Company and continue to be the premier technology enabled content development company in the marketing industry. As our clients demands change, we must adjust to their changing needs. That sometimes means we need to shrink staff in one location and build up staffing in another. It may mean that there are times in which the workload is a bit higher and more hectic, while others it is more smooth flowing. "Culture" is different at every location around the world and it is driven by the people who work there. It isn't fair or a true representation to say that all of our employees and clients are not happy. Fact is, we work with amazingly talented employees every day and have a roster of incredible clients that continues to grow. Aa an ex-employee, we respect your perspective. We're sorry you did not have the experience you would have liked to have; however, wish you the best of luck moving forward.
1.0
18 Jan 2018

Got greedy and stopped caring about the employees

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

In the early days Sandbox used to be a place that cared about there employees and had a fun and healthy environment.

Cons

The company is ran on fear and manipulation with everyone only looking out for themselves. This is a company where you would have little to no growth without a proper raise.

avatar
Sandbox Studio Response
8y
Thank you for your feedback and comments, they are important to us as we're always looking at where we can improve. We're sorry to hear that you don't feel Sandbox is a great place to work. We do, in fact, care about our employees and the environment they spend so much time in each day. Unfortunately, this review doesn't state when you left so we're not sure how in tune you are with how the company is currently managed. To address your concern about "greed" and lack of caring about employees, we actually reinvest in our employees quite extensively as we see greater success. For example, we invested a considerable amount into our healthcare benefits and now every employee has healthcare coverage available to them that is 100% paid for by the company. We also normalized our merit increase process to be a formal process each year. We continue a 401k match that includes immediate vesting of all company contributions. Further, we are investing in development of our teams, the physical workspaces and in the technology and tools that our amazing employees need. We foster an environment of creativity, celebrating our people and their craft, both at work and outside of business hours. With this mentality, we also celebrate differences - of opinion, of perspective and of experiences. We believe in teamwork and camaraderie where people CAN flourish and grow. In fact, we've given opportunity for many people to move from location to location across the US in the past year. And with that, we're proud that our associates stick around. There is always be people seeking other opportunities but we take great pride in that number being quite low at Sandbox. Again, we thank you for the time you've taken to express your concerns. We wish you the very best of luck in your career.
Viewing 1 - 3 of 39 Reviews

Glassdoor has 57 Sandbox Studio reviews submitted anonymously by Sandbox Studio employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Sandbox Studio is right for you.