Yikes!! - Anonymous Instrument Employee Review

2.0
Apr 6, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The best reason to work at Instrument are the people. There are some really passionate, talented, and caring people that are engaged in creating quality work as a team. They offer comprehensive benefits, a very generous time off policy, and 401k matching.

Cons

There are a couple major red flags about Instrument that should be noted: 1. The cliques: Although I graduated from high school a long time ago, Instrument put me right back in the throes of being 16 years old navigating a whole slew of toxic people. Each team forms it's own clique so my advice is make sure you fit in with your team or you will have a miserable experience. 2. "Diversity/Inclusion/Equity": Instrument makes a lot of claims about inclusion and diversity but it's 100% lip service. If you identify as an underrepresented group be prepared to watch certain colleagues (read: white colleagues) be presented with opportunities and be handled with kid gloves while you get told something about your "energy" is off with no concrete feedback. Instrument is a place where having an opinion is as good as taking action. You will succeed here if you have the loudest, "woke-est" voice even if you are incredibly difficult to work with or don't actually practice the ideas you preach. 3. Growth: you will not grow personally or professionally here. A lot of people in management seemed to have gotten to those positions by being friends with existing management or failing upward. As a result, they bring no real leadership skills to the table. 4. Lack of Pay: If you move here from somewhere else, expect to take a pay cut. No cost of living raise, no transparency around salary. 5. The Work: You'll be making marketing sites that all bleed together because the same people are in charge of making creative decisions and will steamroll/speak down to you if you dare present ideas that are outside their bubble.

Explore other reviews about Instrument

5.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company with great people. Seamless life, work balance, and a very nice company culture.

Cons

No big cons as far as my concern. The pay can be slightly better, but it's okay compared to other agencies' standards.

3.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people here are great. Every team feels fairly connected, even for a 250+ person agency. Work/life balance is the best I've experienced at an agency so far. Pay is fair and scales depending on where you live and your experience overall. Work has the potential to be interesting, but most clients we bring in are not looking for ground-breaking work.

Cons

The benefits are not extraordinary, other than generous PTO. Recently removed a sabbatical program. Layoffs that come as a surprise, with scrambles only months later to fill the eliminated roles. Freelance hiring is hit or miss. Publicly-owned with a parent company that doesn't align with Instrument's morals. Leadership feels fairly disconnected and not genuinely interested in resolving the low morale amongst the larger team. Seemingly more interested in advertising themselves and using AI than in focusing on craft and high-quality projects. Constant leadership departures create anxiety.

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