Pros
If you are well-liked, you can go far at KNOCK. The owners, Lili and Todd, put a lot of effort into creating a positive culture by throwing fun parties and providing numerous learning opportunities. They are making some effort to becoming more culturally aware. During pre-covid times, tickets to local sports games were an especially fun perk. There is a variety of work if you’re not working on Target. Most people at KNOCK are genuinely good humans. You’ll definitely make friends there. KNOCK is a notably generous supporter of several local non-profits. Lili is especially generous and charming. You will find examples of creative excellence here, surpassing many comparable local agencies. I believe there is a genuine desire for goodness amongst leadership, despite their flaws. Several long-standing employees who are outstanding professionally and absolute gems personally.
Cons
Virtually no BIPOC leadership. Very few BIPOC employees. Several extremely toxic employees who are promoted and favored despite their toxic behavior, presumably because they are high performers. Intellectually, KNOCK is an echo chamber for the liberally-minded. Political opinions are openly discussed to the point of discomfort. Under-pay employees because they’re a “small” agency (they’re mid-sized). Leadership wants to grow digital, but virtually no one in leadership actually understands or truly values digital. Several long-standing employees who are openly disinterested in learning and are very set in their ways. Over-reaching non-compete. During tough times, leadership chooses to normalize over-working employees (“we’re all in this together”) rather than hiring. KNOCK’s once laid-back culture now feels like a popularity contest. Employees rarely, if ever, have opportunities for official review, making growth extremely difficult.