Skip to contentSkip to footer
      employer cover photo
      employer logo
      employer logo

      SMG

      Engaged employer

      SMG reviews

      Good people but high stress and low pay - Senior Client Executive SMG Employee Review

      2.0
      13 May 2026
      Senior client executive
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Enjoyable role when you’re not at max capacity (which you will be most of the time). Line managers are well trained to support you. Kind, helpful colleagues. Nice office in central London location. Good stepping stone for the brands you get to work with

      Cons

      Not worth the money. You’ll end up working overtime for free every week and be on glorified living wage, but with stress. The benefits are good in principle, but don’t fall for them - you don’t have enough hours in the day to work “flexibly” and there’s no progression. If you do somehow get promoted, 6m-1Y after already taking on the responsibility of the role above yours (unpaid), you will be lucky to get an extra 6% pay rise, and then it will be another 1-2year wait for the next one - by which time inflation will have well and truly caught up. You’re expected to prove yourself constantly and be grateful for added responsibility, without any evidence of actual progression or return. High stress, high turnover.

      avatar
      SMG Response
      1w
      Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and balanced review. We really appreciate the care and thought you’ve put into articulating both the positives and the challenges of your experience at SMG. It’s encouraging to hear your reflections on the supportive colleagues, line management, client exposure and learning opportunities you experienced during your time with us. At the same time, we recognise and take seriously the concerns you’ve raised around workload, progression, pay competitiveness and the sustainability of work-life balance. Your feedback is thoughtful, specific and constructive, and it reflects themes we know are incredibly important to our people as we continue to grow. We are actively reviewing how we better support career development, recognise contribution fairly and create a more sustainable experience for our teams across the business. We’re especially grateful for your acknowledgement of the people and values at the heart of SMG. Maintaining a culture where people feel supported, valued and able to grow is something we care deeply about, and feedback like yours helps us understand where we need to improve. Thank you again for your honesty, and we wish you all the very best in your next role.

      Explore other reviews about SMG

      5.0
      17 Apr 2025
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      People are really engaged and excited to collaborate. The management are really open and honest about the company and always willing to give up their time

      Cons

      Hours can be long, however it always feels like this is rewarded.

      1
      avatar
      SMG Response
      1y
      Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We’re really pleased to hear that you've had such a positive experience at SMG and that our collaborative culture and open communication from leadership have stood out during your time here. We’re especially glad to hear that you feel supported and that the energy and engagement of your colleagues continue to make a meaningful difference, our people are at the heart of what makes SMG a great place to work.
      3.0
      29 May 2026
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      - Similar-minded colleagues make an enjoyable work environment. - Flexible working schedule is useful. - Managers offer freedom to develop, and work autonomously. - Good progression opportunities (only if you're lucky).

      Cons

      - The workload is AWFUL. You see it mentioned on almost every review on here, spanning years back, and they provide the same response about how they're working on it or actively looking at it. I can assure you that is a complete and utter lie. They do absolutely nothing to try and make workloads manageable, as they are constantly trying to cut costs, streamline teams, and most recently force redundancies and pay freezes. They may act performative on LinkedIn professing how much they care about your wellbeing, but they most definitely do not take any steps to make the job manageable within the time you have, and therefore everybody is stressed out and overworked. (I am sure they will provide the same banal AI-generated response here about how they're committed to making workloads more manageable, or something along those lines. Don't believe them.) - Base salaries are not competitive (partly why there's such high turnover). £33k for a Senior Executive role in London is terrible. You will also struggle to progress from there in most teams. - Disorganisation. Processes are convoluted, tedious, and waste lots of time. Too much admin & trivial nonsense is a large reason why the workload is too high (they have no idea how to solve this by the way).

      1
      avatar
      SMG Response
      2d
      Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback and for your contribution during your time at SMG. We're pleased to hear that you valued the support of your colleagues, the flexibility available, and the autonomy provided by managers to help people develop in their roles. Creating an environment where people can do their best work is something we deeply care about. We also recognise the concerns you've raised around workload, processes, and remuneration. We understand that these areas can have a significant impact on employee experience, and we're sorry to hear that this was your experience during your time with us. As our business continues to evolve, we regularly review how work is prioritised, how teams are structured, and how our processes support people in delivering great work as effectively as possible. We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective and wish you every success in the future.
      See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All
      Related searches: SMG jobs | SMG salaries | SMG benefits | SMG interviews
      SMG reviewsSMG Senior Client Executive reviewsSMG review