Constant "growing pains". RUN - Client Leadership Manager Kantar Employee Review

1.0
Oct 12, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

WFH and absolutely nothing else

Cons

Kantar North America hired someone who hadn't worked in corporate for 2+ years as the new CEO in Jun 2022 and then completely restructured the company with no plan of succession management or training. In Dec 2022, we were told we'd get our new roles in Jan. This didn't happen until Feb and new teams didn't make sense and assignments were all over the place. They had an aggressive plan to work under the new model by end of Feb. You would think that with a change this big, they'd have plans of structure, workload, and at least solution goals. NOPE. By Mar, everyone in the company was asked to learn new skills with no pay raise, no promotion, no bonuses and no job descriptions. We were told we weren't going to lay people off and then laid people off. We were told that we'd have support to be successful (we didn't). We've changed teams or had mini-restructures almost 3 times now because they still can't get it right after Jan. Within Brand Solutions, there are so many workstreams and no one is managing the list, so people are duplicating tasks and prioritizing their own agenda (constant clash of goals in every meeting). There is no collaboration between teams because everyone is on edge about someone taking their projects. We are are struggling with workload because everyone is leaving, we're learning while we have to sell, and so many meetings. Everything is a band-aid with no real plans for strategic future planning. Everyone is miserable and very little positivity left. No culture initiatives at the moment. No DEI efforts even before the reorg. No point in even talking to HR because they're non-existent. Prior to the restructure, most of my teammates had to apply for newer titles because promotions are limited. They don't value employee growth and promotions.

Explore other reviews about Kantar

5.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice company to work for

Cons

Pay could be better for this role

2.0
Jul 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Kantar has talented employees, well-known clients, and strong research capabilities. I had the opportunity to work with knowledgeable colleagues, contribute to major accounts, support internal initiatives, promote the brand, and share expertise across teams. There are many people inside the company who genuinely care about the work and try to help others succeed.

Cons

My experience was ultimately overshadowed by what appeared to be deep favoritism, inconsistent leadership decisions, and a serious lack of transparency. Employees with decades of experience, strong performance records, valuable client relationships, and critical institutional knowledge were laid off in the name of profitability. At the same time, the company continued hiring new people into the same or very similar positions. This makes the claim of role elimination or cost reduction difficult to take seriously. It was particularly disturbing to see highly experienced employees removed, only for the business to spend money recruiting and training replacements to perform work that clearly still existed. In some cases, former employees or people with close relationships to leaders appeared to be brought back, promoted, or placed into stronger positions. This created a clear impression that personal relationships and internal connections could matter more than performance, loyalty, expertise, or contribution. Strong performers who consistently volunteered for initiatives, promoted Kantar’s brand and tools, shared knowledge, supported important client work, and went beyond their job descriptions were still treated as expendable. Remote employees and people from diverse backgrounds also appeared to be disproportionately affected. The overall message to employees was damaging: performance may not protect you, loyalty may not matter, and institutional knowledge can be discarded while leadership continues hiring elsewhere. This destroys trust, weakens morale, and sends the wrong signal to employees who are still expected to give their best.

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