Extremely talented employees, good work/life balance, horrible communication from management - Developer Instrument Employee Review

3.0
Sep 12, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- I've met some of the smartest, most talented, and most caring people at Instrument. - Generally very flexible with time off/sick leave. - Competitive benefits. - A lot of employees are asking for and actively working on creating meaningful change within the org.

Cons

There's a BIG disconnect between leadership (specifically those in executive leadership) and those of us working with each other in team/client environments. This has created a lot of tension between leadership and everyone else and I can't see things changing unless there is some change in leadership. I can see that they are trying to understand what the issues are and how to solve them... after all, technically speaking, Instrument is better than a lot of other agencies that claim to care about their employees. But better doesn't mean anything if the standard for "better" is so low.

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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