The Telegraph reviews

3.2

63% would recommend to a friend

(373 total reviews)
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Anna Jones

68% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

The Telegraph has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 373 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The Telegraph employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

373 reviews
1.0
May 7, 2024

Absolutely diabolical

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very little - does free fruit count?

Cons

If you have a beating heart, I highly recommend you do not work for The Telegraph. This place is truly insidious. Open bullying in the office is normal (the office is fully open plan too, so public humiliation is the norm as well). People do not tend to leave before 8 pm, so if you have kids, forget about ever seeing them. Meetings are regularly held at 6 or 7 pm, where key decisions are made on big projects. There is simply no work life balance at all - and a very boozy culture - because everyone is trying to cope with work stress. Zero flexibility on their 'hybrid' work culture, which actually means 4 days in the office per week - except most come in 5 anyway. This is because the Telegraph views are weirdly obsessed with the notion that hybrid working is woke nonesense. Very troubling misyogynistic practices - if you are a woman, you will be told not to be 'so sensitive' about your ideas and not to challenge people on theirs. I have never experienced misogyny like this before. Direction changing and shifting from one minute to the next with no explanation, which would mean countless late nights working tirelessly on projects were completely wasted. Everyone is too scared to ask why things have changed last minute as one top director in particular has a terrifying reputation for bullying (which I witnessed). There is no communication, no actual collaboration, just a constant blame culture where everyone openly admits how unhappy they are. I was also told not to bother escalating any issues from my manager, as this place 'won't change just because you're saying these things'. Deadlines are insane - everything is expected to be done yesterday. A huge argument erupting in front of everyone where the parties did not speak to each other for several weeks and talked through other colleagues. If you want your mental health and self-esteem to die, this is the way to do it. I witness so much unhappiness and anxiety in this place and left as quickly as I joined. People deserve a lot better.

1.0
Jul 13, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay (if you hit bonus target which is now impossible) Free fruit (not sure for how long as they have cut everything else). Everyone leaves at 5.30pm regardless of whether you have finished what you are working on. It's crazy. Literally like being at school. You would think they were smashing targets and didn't need to care too much. Free mice (if you like mice)

Cons

Redundancies every quarter - full disclosure I've just been made redundant last week along with 79 others - put in a room together and told we were out of a job. It's probably not the best time to write a balanced review, and I wouldn't have normally but they were cruel & heartless which is unforgivable. I get times are tough for news publishers but that doesn't excuse the behaviour of people who simply should now better (and that includes HR who are a joke of a personnel department). The company has an enormous overhead due to the crazy amount of C-Suite / MD's/ Senior Management. There is layer upon layer of management on massive 6 figure salaries and then a few lower levels like me. They get rid of the lower levels because they are all protecting themselves. The CRO of advertising has never spoken to me despite working here for 3 years and being my boss. Not once. A CRO responsible for revenue, presumably KPI'd on revenue as it is in his job title, and who has delivered double digit deficits on quarterly revenue for the last 4 quarters against targets already set on double digit decline. His job is fine though, obviously. The CEO is the most unapproachable, socially awkward person I've come across in any business. This is a media company and you need personality, charisma, charm as well as business acumen. Not someone who stares at the floor as they walk past you or looks frightened when you are both at the vending machine together and is forced into a casual conversation. He is ex Yahoo (who hardly set the world alight when he was at the helm) and he has brought his ex Yahoo mates with him. They are all safe from redundancy as well obviously. Audience - they are losing 90% of their digital audience as most content is now behind a paywall. It's a policy that the CEO put in place 6 months ago so if you are thinking of any role in advertising I would think again. The advertising department is shrinking rapidly to a handful of really senior people who do little work, get paid loads and have been there for decades. No surprise there. Not sure what they are KPI'd on. Maybe revenue like the CRO. Finally the advertising team is old school. They play the game in front of the right on members of the board, but at their core, with their "bants" and whisperings and sniggers they are racist, mysogynistic and homophobic. And if you don't conform to that model then you won't be down the pub with the select few or at your bosses private annual party at his pile in the country. The choice is yours.

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The Telegraph Response
6y
Thank you for your open and frank feedback. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive and collaborative environment for all our employees. We also work hard to provide support to employees when business changes take effect, so it's disappointing to hear you don't feel your experience reflects this. If you would like to discuss your feedback further please do reach out to a member of the HR team.
1.0
Nov 30, 2024

This place is a prison

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unfortunately I do not see any pros in this company …. Even for the health insurance you need to pay an excess of 150£

Cons

I hated this place since day 1, it feels like a bunker and I felt like a rat in a cage. If you value your health, do not waste your time to work here. I agree with most of the comments. It is a very old school mentality there, very masculine and white, not diverse at all. People are the coldest and unfriendliest I have ever met. I don’t see people as humans there; most of them are totally dehumanised by this place. It is highly stressful with constant pressure and impossible deadlines. They are looking for perfection and this is draining. If you are a creative person, avoid at all costs. Office looks horrible with bright lights in your face, barely any light (unless for the lucky ones next to the windows who have enough space to put plants) it is depressing AF and absolutely not inspiring. There is indeed no proper communication and very poor management. A toxic elitism in the editorial and product departments with most people being slaves for the disgusting profits of the telegraph….. I am relieved to not work there anymore and wish I’d never been there in the first place. Not a single cent is worth this work environment where it’s simply slavery. Life is so much more …… go and do something you enjoy and don’t waste time here. Work for people with good values. They lost their souls here, trust me.

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