I worked at IG for only 3 months, right out of college. I value staying at a company for some time to be able to learn as much as possible (which I did for each job I had through High school and college) but I found that impossible there. Everything about this job and company felt off from day one. I was so excited to start, promise of commission and making up to 100k in your first 2 years (expect to sell your soul to ever get there), and the opportunity to make friends with your coworkers was all enticing to me. I quickly realized that IG’s values, shiny offices, and upbeat leadership was a show of toxic positivity, a bandaid to cover all of the cons of working there: - Very long work hours. I was told that we work from 8-5, however you have to arrive in office at least 30 minutes early to be prepared for the daily morning meeting where you’re expected to smile, shout, dance to edm, and clap for your coworkers at 8:00am. So really, expect to work 7:30am-5:00pm, sometimes later to hit your numbers. - Cold calling. The entire job is cold calling. When I interviewed for the job, I specifically asked if cold calling was a part of the job, to which I was told “It’s a very small part if you want to become an account manager!”. When in reality, you’re entire worth is on how many cold calls you make to candidates a day and how many you’re able to pry new information out of. - Employee personalities. This is subjective, as many people there loved each other and many new people joining would enjoy the social vibe this company has. However, if you prefer to build relationships with your coworkers slowly and naturally, have genuine conversations, and separate your personal life and work life, you will not enjoy it. Everything felt so close to genuine, yet so far at the same time. Very superficial. Look at any picture of a company gathering and it will look like a giant frat/sorority get together. - Pay. Ridiculously low. $40,000 annually for Recruiter 1’s with a base increase when you finally reach the fabled “promotion” that is dangled in your face starting in the interview process, and every single day after you’re hired. They boast about how there are account managers making $1M a year and convince you that you can do that as well as long as you work hard enough. - Inconsistency between offices. There were people in my office who had been working SO HARD for over a year and were nowhere close to being promoted. They really sell you on being promoted in 6-8 months, when you have to sacrifice yourself to actually get there. Meanwhile, other offices were promoting people all the time with way lower expectations. - Metrics. This was the hardest thing for me. Your entire worth in this company is based on your numbers. IG values QUANTITY over QUALITY. You had really great candidates start in a role and had lots of submissions to a role this week? Expect to still be hounded to make your daily numbers. You are interrogated when you don’t make those numbers and it becomes so nerve wracking you start to fake some here and there just to get by. - Micromanaging. Expect to give out a Mid-day update, an end of day update, AND a detailed weekly report on your numbers and performance. Not a second of your time goes unwatched by your account manager you’re working for that day or your mentor. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. - Vaping. Weird con, but believe it or not it’s warranted. I was told multiple times by my coworkers that it is a “company wide addiction”. People were vaping in office, on video calls with customers, tossing vape juice across the office so people can refill, it was insane to watch. This job felt like a fever dream in a culty environment. Many say that you will meet your best friends here, and I did meet some amazing people here. However, those were people who left as well. If you’re considering a job at IG, think it through! Explore other opportunities, ask the right questions in interviews, and assess your wants and needs in the workplace.
