TCWGlobal

1.0

8 Jul 2021

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

I write this review to hopefully provide a fair assessment, but also to warn potential hires that while TargetCW has an enticing sales pitch and some good people, it is not a real company - it's the illusion of one. I'll talk about that in the cons, though. In general, I would recommend working at this company if you 1) have a strong desire to coast, or 2) plan to use the inflated title the CEO gives you to find a better career. It is a great business model and a cash cow, which is awesome, mainly for the sole proprietor. The CEO is obsessed with aesthetics and lavish living, which manifests throughout the company. Perks like massages and trips can overshadow the below-market pay that exists for all roles besides sales. Sales has a great commission structure, although it used to be better than it is now. You'll get a better title than fits the role (entry-level people will be called 'Manager,' people with a few years of unrelated experience will be called 'Director,' professional emailers will be called 'Vice President of Business Development,' etc.). Final pro - everyone I know who left has found a much better career at a much better company that pays more, including myself.

Cons

Sales is disproportionately rewarded for the level of work they do, and it angers the rest of the company (like CS and AM's) while 'trapping' the salespeople at the company. The tenured salespeople love the pay, but they hate the job, because they're still sending emails and making cold calls for a living. This is because, with sales, there's no management hierarchy; it's all fake title increases with no role changes, creating a system of over-paid spammers who want personal growth but lack any skills or guidance. On the account management side, there is career progression, but everyone is grossly underpaid and overworked. No significant performance incentives exist. Workers aren't paid for their success and are fired for their failure. This is especially true for the CRA's. Management feels unequipped to lead, as they can't make any real decisions. The CEO is the company. This can be good or bad, depending upon the company, but in this case, it's bad. He is an incredible salesman, a great negotiator, and a charismatic personality. I also think he has a great heart, although many disagree with me. But, he is a poor leader. He is non-confrontational, he doesn't invest in employees' career growth (aside from perks), all of his friends are yes-men that he keeps on his payroll, and he acts in ways that can only be described as narcissistic. He also makes poor leadership decisions, like escaping to Cabo for weeks when business gets stressful, complaining to employees about other employees, and buying a $200,000 watch for himself while canceling bonuses for the rest of the company because "they should be grateful to have a job during the pandemic.. business has been down." He also takes a 3-hour lunch almost every day with a few of his yes-men. He also often refers to his 'biddy,' which is the word he uses to describe his male breasts, and it's used in the context of extending/withholding things like vacation or lunch invites. It was always tough to watch his personal hires get fired, because he would make another manager do it (often not their boss), and then he would never talk to them again. He also frequently uses non-inclusive language and makes racist and sexist comments in jest. Finally, he holds personal vendettas against people who leave. A quote from the CEO: "Once we sell the company I'm going to send personal eff you cards to everyone who left me, and I'm gonna make everyone who was loyal to me rich." If he fires you, he won't hate you (unless it was for cause, of course). There are other cultural issues, too, but they are mostly exacerbated by the CEO, and I've spoken on him enough. Hopefully this is enough information for you to make a decision. These issues are not apparent to most new hires, and the Glassdoor reviews often have witty responses from the CEO that de-escalate the issues in the mind of the prospective employee, reinstating TargetCW as a viable company to work for. Let me repeat: it is not, unless you need a strong work-life balance with no career progression or you are wise enough to use the title to take advantage of the CEO's belief in you and pivot to a better career. Hope this helps.

TCWGlobal Response

Thank you for taking the time to write. I’ve spent some time reflecting on your words before responding. I’ve asked myself, “What’s my part?” I often ask myself this question in times of conflict or confusion. I will say, I find it weird that I don’t know who the author of the post is considering the personal nature of some of the comments. I wish you had the courage to say something in person while you were here at the company, but I realize that courage is hard to come by these days. I love the movie “Good Will Hunting.” In case you haven’t seen it, it’s great. I would like to draw particular attention to a scene where the professor, Robin Williams (RIP) is talking to his student, Matt Damon about life. The student challenges the professor regarding the areas of love, life, and risk. This touches Robin Williams deeply since he lost his wife years ago. Professor Robin Williams is trying to help Matt Damon. Williams wants to help him move from a life protected by his “great intellect,” into a life of vulnerability and healing. After a period of frustration, Robin Williams comes back to his student and calmly tells him, “You’re just a kid.” If you’ve seen this movie before, I can assure you’ll remember the depth and meaning of the scene. My response to this review is similar for some of the comments, “You’re just a kid.” You weren’t there when I was close to bankruptcy, or when I invested every penny I had, or when I mortgaged everything I had to start the company. You weren’t there during the myriad of challenges that occur when you start a company, and all the stress and depression it ensues. You weren’t there during the joyful moments when hiring employees, seeing them get married, seeing them have kids and buy homes. You weren’t there during the cancer and remission of so many loved ones that are a part of my TCWGlobal Family. You weren’t there providing stability, time off, financial stability, and support while my awesome employees had babies or struggled trying to have kids. You weren’t there when I literally paid myself nothing so I could pay my employees. You’re just a kid. You criticize and judge, relying on social media to talk about things the way you see them through your own filter. You don’t know that we have given more money to non-profits than the value of my house and all my personal assets combined. You don’t know how much I love, serve, and give to all my employees, regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity, or status. I love the unique God given attributes and background of each and every single one of my workers. You don’t know me. You don’t know what it’s like to run a company, and honestly, I have a hard time saying you know much about love. Love would have challenged me, especially after 3 years of employment. Step-in and change the world, help change TCWGlobal for the better. Get on the field and play, stop spectating and criticizing. If a younger generation doesn’t take the baton of actual activism, things will not get better, things will stay the same. Forgive the soap box or be changed by it, it’s up to you. I took to heart your comments, but in the future, speak to people directly so you can connect, understand, be held accountable, and ultimately, find better alignment and create a moment of connection, not vial criticism. I’m 25 years into this, and I will not allow negative voices dictate how I lead or choose to live the life I’ve been granted. I will listen with my whole heart to those who care, who want to have lasting change and impact, and to those who have values that strive to make people and the whole world a better place.

Severely dysfunctional - Anonymous employee TCWGlobal Employee Review

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