- Created by Seibert Media employee, last modified on Sep 12, 2023
What do our employees say about us?
We reached out to our team members to gather their thoughts on //SEIBERT/MEDIA as an employer, their work environment, and their colleagues. They shared with us what they appreciate about their workplaces, what's great, and where they see room for improvement. Here's the feedback from our colleagues.
TEAM USA
Carlotta
My experience with Seibert Media has been positive. It has been very orientated towards everyone that has been working here, trying to make the start of working as easy as possible. The working environment is nice too. This is my second virtual remote onboarding, so I have a comparison - and there are many resources such as the flight plan where you are encouraged to have meetings with colleagues and be exposed to all these resources that are there to help you. Everyone I talk to is very helpful, my team and the broader members of SM. This opens a door that if there is an issue, you can actually ask for help and not feel like someone is annoyed if you do. I think it is special that half of them are German, and I can speak German with them - that is a bonus. This “Germanness” is also my favorite part working at SM because I am able to get all the German perks and benefits. As a growing new team here in the US; there is room for improvement. This is not with the job itself, but, for example, more with the related personal aspects like who can I go to to speak about my 410K? There are fewer people, we are still growing the team, so this organization will hopefully come with time. So far, I really am enjoying my time at SM!
Pay
I’ve only been working for Seibert/Media for almost 3 months and the first thing that impressed me is learning that the probationary period is actually 6 months as opposed to the standard 3 months (90 days) that it is in most American companies I have worked for previously.
The reason that I enjoy this so much is because it genuinely allows you get a feel for the role that you were hired, the team, the company and to see if there is indeed a symbiosis between you and the organization.
The interview process was also reflective of the company values and the congruence that Seibert Media strives for. I was spoken with, not to, and I was interviewed as a holistic person, not just my resume or work history. They asked questions like "What kind of volunteer workdo you do? What are your hobbies, you passions and how do you manage a work-life balance? And most importantly: they listened! They listened to my answers and 3 months later, it shows because it comes up in conversations.
My favorite part of the work I do goes beyond the actual role, though that is exciting too. It is actually the people. The clients and team members that I work with are what I am the most excited about. That is a first for me. The role itself is enticing, but it was not what kept me when I was offered $30,000 by another company for the same role. The congruency of values between the people and the company are what has made all the difference for me.
Emily
I am very happy with Seibert Media!
As an American, there are sooo many benefits to working at SM. The flexible schedule is my favorite part. I feel like I can work whenever I want, which boosts my productivity. I also don’t need to worry about taking sick time, and that affecting my position in the company. For example, yesterday I had to take my cat to the vet, and it felt so so nice not having to worry whether or not it would reflect badly on me, having to miss work so suddenly. I got back from the vet, and got some good work in for the day!
As a result of things being this way, I feel extremely motivated to help out my team. With the company structure being the way it is, where there’s no hierarchies and I’m my own boss, I finally feel like my work matters. In other roles I’ve held, I *always* felt like I was doing way more work than everybody else, or that I cared way more about how my actions affect my coworkers. For once in my life, those aren’t bad things!! Those are qualities or traits about myself that make SM and me work perfectly together, like the sugar to my lemon water! Lemonade!
My favorite part of SM is also the teamwork and support I get from everyone. I can go to someone if I have a question and I am not left alone. I’m really excited to work here for a long time. I just hope I can continue to make everyone happy to have me as a coworker as they make me!
Ashley
SM is definitely different from any other company I have worked for - in a good way. I really like the idea behind everyone being on the same team and trying to achieve the same overarching goal and that you can do this around your personal schedule. I have two young children and it gives me the flexibility to take care of them, to go do that and then come back to finish my work. I view SM as an employer that cares and values the people they have working for them. In my work, it has been interesting navigating my time with people I need to speak with in Germany. I have a dual role being both on the American Corp team and team draw.io. There are strong personalities on both sides and everyone is very friendly and has been willing to help me when I need it. There is a lot of information to digest, to work through on your own, so written direction is one thing I see as an area of improvement that could be done. I also see the commission rate as something that could be improved when thinking about the turnover rate as we continue to grow. Overall, my favorite part about being with SM is the amount of opportunities we have and the freedom to try strategies - I have never been told this is how we have always done something and so this is how we are going to do it. I feel like my previous experience and value is relied on.
Colin
I think Seibert Media is a really good place to work and a really good employer. They listen to everything you have to say - so if you want to have something changed, they will listen to that discussion and things can be changed. If you are unhappy with what you are doing, you can always see what else you can do. If you are struggling in certain areas, you’ll get help. The communication aspect with everyone seems to be one of the main benefits. Also being in the US and having some of the German benefits is quite nice, for example, vacation days, sick time, etc. In terms of the working environment, the time difference is a double edge sword. Before the American Corp, it was nice to be left alone towards the end of the day because I wasn’t distracted by anything, but if I needed anything - no one was online. Now that we have more people hired in the US, and a team is forming, I can still have a conversation with colleagues towards the end of my working day. In terms of my colleagues, they are great - everyone gets along. Part of SM’s hiring strategy is that you find the cultural fit and then people grow into their position if they are not already qualified. If teams cannot get along then they are not going to work well together. Overall, my favorite part about SM is the people I work with and being able to take part in a multicultural environment. Moving into the future, we are making a lot of progress defining the policies for the American Corp and improving communication with the German speaking side of things.
TEAM GERMANY
Sebastian
For me, Seibert Media's culture is best expressed as, "that's not the way we do things around here." Here many things work a little differently than in most companies and that's a good thing. It starts with little things that you quickly take for granted when you work here on a daily basis. Everybody is on a first-name basis, we don’t do the whole “Mr.” or “Ms.” between colleagues. There is no dress code, many come to the office with a baseball cap and band shirt. The list goes on and on, because we want people to feel comfortable working here. Every employee is free to arrange his or her own working hours. Every employee is free to choose the operating system of his or her computer. And they are free to decide whether they want to work overtime, and they get paid for every single extra hour. We also act differently in processes that have a significant impact on operations because we think it's right. We don't take part in pitches and there are no free preliminary services. Almost all projects are handled according to agile methodology; we said goodbye to the waterfall model a long time ago. We charge by the hour, so that our clients don't pay more than we provide - but also no less. We have the courage to do things differently. That doesn't always make it easy, because there are no templates to follow. You have to try things out and it can sometimes go wrong. You have to constantly question yourself and have the will to change. You have to learn new things and constantly evolve. But it is precisely this otherness that makes both working at and working with Seibert Media so special. It is precisely this uniqueness that truly defines our culture.
Jo
Right now I would like to take the time and express my gratitude towards Seibert Media’s workforce. For the past 15 years of our entrepreneurial journey, our employees have always been supportive. They have been forgiving when we made mistakes, and together we have grown and learned. We were quite inexperienced when we founded this company and since then, through the learning process, we may have inconvenienced our employees at some point. And yet I still experience an atmosphere today in which employees are open to new things and do not shy away from changes and taking chances with restructuring processes. A current example is agile project management. This is a topic that a handful of employees have been working on intensively for some time. We can see examples of this in the company with the Kanban project portfolio, Scrum-by-the-Book at Twentyfeet or the introduction of Kanban in the Web team. Our employees are always open-minded and are willing to tread into supposedly uncertain territory. In terms of the current changes happening due to "Agile", we are confident it will professionalize and standardize a lot at Seibert Media - but of course we will see the results and see if our opinion ends up correct. Therefore it is important for us that our employees are inspired and ready to work together to make these changes a success. In Scrum & Co.’s basic project processes, we will channel both participation and influence through individual employees. The keyword is self-organization of the team. Of course, this entails more responsibility for everyone. However, I am optimistic that we will build trust in each other and do this well as we continue to grow together as a team - the Seibert Media team.
Martin
I enjoy my work because I know my colleagues have fun and enjoy the results and successes of what we are doing. That doesn't mean that the work itself is always fun. No one would expect a cleaning lady or a plumber to have fun at work. There are silly, boring and monotonous jobs here too. However, people support each other and celebrate their small and big successes. Here, everyone gets to be who they want to be. Most people don’t start here as experts, but over time they gain the knowledge and experience to be called that. I love looking at our results which have moved our clients and us forward. And that these results were not bogged down by annoying hierarchical wrangling and formalities. Seibert Media places a lot of value on loyalty, diligence, a sense of duty and solidarity. Everyone has to put the work in, but everyone is also allowed to play as much and as long as they want. I feel that everyone here knows the work they are doing contributes to the whole operation of what we do as a company. There are a number of hammocks here, but no one lies here at the expense of someone else doing their work. This may sound very cheesy, but for both management and staff - it really is fun working here.
Not every profitable assignment is a good one. If I had to name one thing I've learned in the last twelve months, it's that you don't have to win every job. We used to chase every chance for a lucrative contract. We tried to make it seem that we were the perfect fit to take on a request when in reality we weren't. We don't do that anymore. This week we just lost a project for almost 200k for strategic reasons. Does that hurt? Ouch, yes! But I've learned that a lucrative deal only moves the company forward if it's also a good deal. A bad project will only be torn apart by the team and, to get it out of our hair, be completed as fast as possible. When a project is "good business" it fits our strategy and strengths. And as a result, it will likely be more successful and fun to work with. If we can't deliver truly first-class services to our clients, we'd rather not make them an offer. Learning that was not easy for me. We say this regularly now, and also when we get an inquiry. This helps our clients find their best solution quickly and increases our reputation. Us doing this fits perfectly with our corporate values of "trust", "transparency" and "honesty" which is not common in the market. I am proud that our consultants no longer have to chase every opportunity, but that we can really "advise" true to the name. There is a risk involved in not doing large projects. But we have learned that it is our job to only offer what we can deliver in high quality. That is very fulfilling and good for our clients.
Silke
The staff at Seibert Media are nice and open-minded. The company kiosk is a great facility. Not just because we can buy ice cream there together in the summer and then stroll through the company's own parking area 🙂. I love being able to arrange my working hours freely, work on great things and be creative in an atmosphere where everyone can really get involved. In addition to really exciting and varied projects, I really like our internal training programme and workshops, and I think it's great that we have our own wiki on the intranet where you can access relevant information. Other advantages at Seibert Media are the prestigious office, the many books in the company's own library that can be borrowed free of charge and, last but not least, the opportunity and enjoyment of joint private activities outside working hours.
I have been working at Seibert Media for almost ten years and I still look forward to going to the office every time. The company has strong values that I can identify with, even though it has gone through many different phases in these ten years. But what I probably like most at the moment is that Seibert Media has always taken my phases into account accordingly and still does. So today I can dedicate myself to my role as a mother and continue to work at the same time: Together with the team, we have found both the appropriate roles/work and a time solution that is feasible with children - and that is individually tailored to my possibilities and needs.
Torsten
I enjoy my work. That's why I can’t stand it, for example, when my computer breaks down or when things aren’t running smoothly and it ends up interfering with my work. For me, everything should always be in order - the computer, the network and the online servers. This is the case at Seibert Media. The large office, the good transport connections, the parking spaces for the employees and the interior design of the office all contribute to a good atmosphere among the employees. The varied projects and, last but not least, the demanding and interesting clients make the work exciting and keep me on my toes every day.
I've been working at Seibert Media for over eight years now and have had many good and some bad moments. It sounds cliche, but it's like having a big family since we've all "grown" together over the years. From watching colleagues expand their knowledge and pursue or finish their studies, to attending weddings and being introduced to their newborns! We have experienced everything up close and personal. I think that's great! The negative points are to some extent: organization, limited budgets or (for some) the salary. Everyone should make their own judgments about what they value. I'd rather come to the office at 10 or 11 o'clock in a motorbike suit, than wear a business suit at 8 o'clock every day and have to address my boss formally as “Mr” or “Ms”. You certainly won't find the latter at Seibert Media, and that's a good thing!
Reflecting on the last statement I made, the working atmosphere at SM is still very pleasant - largely in part because of the employees. There have been frequent changes, due to our transition to working in agile teams. As a result, new teams are forming and many colleagues are working together who previously had nothing to do with one another. This was sometimes exhausting, but of course also great for getting to know people even better; their strengths and weaknesses, their wishes for future planning, their likes/dislikes for certain tasks and how they can contribute to projects expertise-wise.
As in any company, there were also new arrivals and departures this year. New colleagues were warmly welcomed and are already firmly integrated into teams. Some ex-colleagues have sadly left (with tears in their eyes). That's life (at work), and on a colleague’s last day by default I say: "You always see each other twice in life”.
Personally, I am currently working on my second decade at Seibert Media and am excited about the exciting tasks that await us together. So dear colleagues and clients, make sure we don't get bored! :-)
Another 4 years have passed at Seibert Media and soon I’ll have worked almost two decades here. In this statement, I would like to report on a very important corporate value for us - change. Spatially, you can see changes in all of our locations in Wiesbaden. Also, the content we are putting out and the tasks we are doing are constantly changing. As a result of new work developments - colleagues and clients are also changing their approach or point of view. It is always exciting to hear their perspectives, opinions, wishes and ideas!
Socially, of course, I also have to report that we have done some awesome things like "Wiesbaden Engagement" or our own regular programming event (free of charge for children and young adults). It is also worth visiting our urban garden on the terrace of our LuisenForum office. It is around 3-4 square meters and can still be expanded. Maybe in the next statement (in 2023?), I will report that it has become larger and that I no longer do programming, but instead have become a full-time gardener. :-)
Katja
The work at Seibert Media is diverse and exciting. By working closely with colleagues from various areas (from project management to design and technology), you learn something new every day and are constantly broadening your horizons. Everyone is expected to be up to date on things. Everyone is taken seriously here, the hierarchies are rather flat, and interactions are friendly. I work in the relatively new design department - it's nice to be involved in the creation of a young division.
Seibert Media: Always on the move, open to new things, online through and through, courageous, honest, demanding, sometimes too fast for my taste, for example when it comes to significant changes in the internal organization. Working at Seibert Media you are jumping in at the deep end and taking the initiative, responsibility, creative possibilities, flexibility, and adaptability to make and handle change. Projects clearly focus on technology and usability, and that influences the design work too. Designers who want boundless creative freedom all day long might not find it here. The people at Seibert Media are young, nice, different, relaxed, quirky, and motivated. Everyone gets along with each other - there are no arguments. Sometimes I wish I had the opinion of a colleague with 20 or 30 years of professional experience. After almost five years in the company, I have had a few bad experiences, but many good times that make me enjoy going to work. I'm excited and looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Reda
The interaction among the employees is very relaxed. There is a pleasant and friendly working environment. You can express your ideas and suggestions to improve things without reservation, regardless of what your main tasks are. As a trainee, despite still having little work experience, it is fair to say that Seibert Media offers an attractive working environment. After a few months, I have taken on very important tasks and learned to react flexibly to situations and to show initiative. I was able to be successful because I was trusted from the very beginning.
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