senior account manager

sales account manager

Radio One

As a former employee that just got let go from this company, there will undoubtedly be biased opinions regardless of fact. However, I will try to remain in the middle ground as much as possible in order to show future employees as well as radio one's own current managers for their own reflection. Radio One Indianapolis has SO many things to work on, but to keep it brief I will only highlight the most important: The poor training, communication, and CRM (and other tools). 

The poor training: The only valuable training we had was with a remote trainer we met with virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour. Some more decent trainings followed up like in our morning trainings/meetings, and towards the end of my time here the Tuesday and Thursday optional training for 30 minutes about different tools. Other than that, there was no solid training whatsoever. None of the team gave me the time to actually engage on these products. 95% of it was not hands on, and very infrequent. The little training we had was not enough, and lead to my demise here. We were lead to believe that the training would be great here, but it was not at all. I'm not sure if covid took a role in this completely or not, but this was by far the worst training I have ever had in my career. This is something that should be addressed for future employees.

Communication: I'm not sure if it was solely because of covid or not, but the communication was terrible. There were times in the first half of my time here where managers would bail on my meetings I had set up. And trying to communicate with any of the managers just on a regular basis was extremely difficult. I would call, text, email, and would not often get a reply like I would if it was in person. I'm not sure if they are understaffed and the managers are having to pick up that slack or not, but it made me feel unvalued as a new employee. Then towards the second half of my time spent here, managers wanted to be on every single one of my meetings because of my poor performance. But where were they when I asked them and needed them before? Another issue with communication was at the beginning of January, when I was told it was 'make it or break it' for me. I was told I was under performing and my job was at risk, but why did it have to come to that? I never even knew I was under performing at all in the first place. I was new. If only I had been told that initially then the adjustments could have been made much prior to have to get to this. Oh, and on top of that, the first month us new hires met with one of the managers there for training, and they said, "I could never make it in your position in this climate the way it is now"... I'll never forget that. It wasn't reassuring at all. Why would they tell us new hires that when we've only been here for a month? Oh and lastly in communication, it was always hard to get someone to actually listen and communicate efficiently. We had all of our meetings through teams, and managers were always focused on something else other than the actual meeting, and they would cut each other off repeatedly. It didn't look good or make it an actual efficient meeting. It almost seems like management is not getting along. 

And finally, the tools: From what I've learned throughout my time here at Radio One, there are no great tools for housing leads. My direct manager told me the best thing I could do was to use efficio or a binder. Yes, a binder. Unfortunately, that is not setting me up for success, and neither was efficio (this is their main tool for a crm). It was hard to even get hands on training with this tool, and even so, you can't house all of the leads there. I had to use a microsoft word document because efficio was not built for all leads and all leads lists. It did not set me or my colleagues up for success whatsoever. Also, why does radio one have so many different tools? There are at least a dozen and that's not exaggerating. This makes it so hard to navigate for a new person, and not to mention we were not trained properly on these tools to even use. It should ALL be in one place. 

In conclusion, I was set up for designed failure. The training, communication, and tools were not in my favor or any of the new hires favor. I tried my best, I really did. I worked till 7:00pm or later almost every single night and then some on the weekends. I never gave up even on the last day. I'm not exactly sure why I got fired. I would assume because of the performance plan we had in place to reevaluate me after 30 days, but it wasn't discussed thoroughly. The initial meeting from when that plan was put in place was on January 8th. We were supposed to talk about that plan on the 29th but never did. Until I met my abrupt fate on Wednesday the 3rd. That's 17 business days for me to actually improve, not including the initial meeting date and my final day. That's not the correct amount of time we discussed, and that's not enough time to even show them how talented I really am! This was by far the worst experience I've had as an employee when it came to training and communication. There are so many more issues that I can dive into but this is already way too enough. I hope going forward they can learn from their mistakes and as will I. 

This company has so much potential but sadly, it will fall short of your expectations.  Here's why: 

-There's no clear vision for the company and if there is, it's not communicated properly to the staff. 
 
-The company operates on a very thin budget and most positions are grossly underfunded.  

-Employee's roles are overextended and in some cases, the individuals aren't qualified and/or properly trained for their expanded responsibilities. 

-Aside from the mentorship program, there are limited opportunities for professional development and career advancement.  

-The company touts itself as the largest urban radio network "providing a mic to amplify the voice of Black America" however, the senior leadership team it's diverse and doesn't reflect the communities in which they serve.

- The benefits are lackluster (high insurance rates, no 401-K match or stock options, no flex time or work from home policy, low bonus structure, no employee perks)

Companies are made of people.  Radio One could be great unfortunately it missed the importance of human capital management.  If Radio One aims to stay competitive with other companies they should offer: 
- A clear company vision 
- A fair and/or competitive wage
- Competitive benefits 
- More professional development opportunities 
- More diversity in key positions 
- Efforts to create a better work/life balance 

If not, good people will overlook or, like me, leave this company

What is the best part of working at the company?
Everyday was a new adventure, and no day was the same. Working for the company was so exciting and I couldn’t wait to wake up everyday, just so I could go and be part of an amazing new adventure at work. It was a dream job come true. I am forever grateful.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Maybe just driving to certain remote locations. I’m not the best driver and it just felt like a lot of responsibility sometimes. Not that I wasn’t willing to be responsible, I just personally don’t prefer driving; but it was mandatory for the job. Other than driving, there wasn’t any stress that I experienced that wasn’t expected as with any other normal job. Most stress encountered was immediately countered with a personal amount of adrenaline.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It feels like you are a part of a special unit, imperative and vital to the proper functioning and success of all neighborhoods reached in Columbus Ohio.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Arriving to work on time, making breakfast, attending morning briefs and receiving assignments. After briefing checking all emails, retuning phone calls, completing all given assignments, while receiving new ones as well.

The opportunities for advancement are slim unless you are focused, determined, and connect with the people who can and are willing to make an impact- IF you show yourself of value, of course. You must understand the concept of community to succeed. Do not expect help if you are not willing to reciprocate. You also should consider your "why" before stepping into the building and remind yourself of that daily. It's tough. But makes you tougher.

Basically, be independent and dependable.

The hours are limited and the pay is low for my particular position. But it gives me the ability to learn, apply, and grow. (If you ask the right questions to the right people, then do the "right" thing) 
There are many departments within the organization to learn so much! However, it is difficult to "move around" without offending somebody. Yet it is doable with a mix of persistent patience. 

In general, this is a very competitive industry, filled with amazing personalities with interesting stories. A positive mindset and getting along with management will take you further than you think. 

Overall, I believe if you are observant and proactive Radio One will assist in molding you into a very diverse professional.

Once again, be independent and dependable.

This job started out as being a total blast and something I looked forward to with every event that I was assigned. As I worked there longer the tone started to change and people in high places started leaving the company. When these people left the company the positions were never filled, leaving the people at the bottom picking up the slack and not being paid for it. Not to mention the false promises for months of "We are in the interviewing process of people, and we will hire within."  The whole promise of "hiring within" was really just to get people who were paid $10/hr who aren't overtime  available to work 100+ hours every two weeks. It was just a huge carrot on a stick for people so they would think they would get some advancement in the company. Throughout my time there around 8-10 people left and only one person was hired. This person still struggled heavily to do their job which left the whole department I was in struggling and barely scraping by. This market of Radio One seems like a total train wreck and I could not be happier in leaving the company.

A typical day at Radio One is like no other job. Something new and fresh everyday. I learned a lot about the music industry, community outreach, event marketing and promotions, digital sales, video production, on-air radio broadcasting, radio operations and much much more! 
Management works hand in hand as one big team. Like a car, each department is critical to the next meaning in order to be drivable all parts must work together. This made the work culture feel like one big happy family. Truly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such outstanding and caring people. The hardest part about the job is that its so cool you'll never want to stop working. I enjoyed everything from school and community events to meeting celebrities, creating original content everyday, and even becoming a guest DJ/ Mixer on-air.

There’s real talent at this company. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the most dedicated, hardest working people I’ve ever met. However, as a previous leader, some of my fellow leadership lacked basic business ethics and morals. Be prepared to work 65+ hours a week (interns included) with no real benefits. There’s a handful of people making a decent salary and a lot of people making little to nothing and significantly below market value for their position. The workplace is TOXIC. You’ll leave with an amazing skill set and ability to multitask but the toxic environment is beyond draining. The media and entertainment business is tough, but this is the worst place I’ve ever worked. If you can survive here for a while you can survive anywhere. I.E. take your talents somewhere else, don’t stay here, use it as stepping stone or skip this company all together. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
You do have opportunities to meet more people and make lasting connections. The best part are the perks that may be available.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Different values and personalities. The demand never stops and not having or being allowed to have many people help in your department. Feeling like you are not allowed to take a step back from work.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It can feel toxic and poor but other times it can feel rewarding. Environment is stressed.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Answering winner emails and questions, working with each department to ensure cohesiveness, organizing station materials and grabbing information regarding contests, events and promos.

Working for Radio One has been one of the most trying employment experiences I've ever had. Management is less than supportive and often find ways to discourage rather that uplift their employees. I was often given more responsibilities due to my large skill set and talent, however I was never offered a pay increase above minimum wage. While I appreciate the experience working as a substitute on-air host, Public Affairs Producer, and audio engineer; at some point you have to recognize your worth and move on when you aren't being promoted. I would not recommend working for this company if you are a seasoned professional. Working here is only ideal if you're looking for an unpaid internship just to gain experience.

My time at Radio One was one of the most rewarding , productive, gratifying, and valuable time of my life. Unfortunately it was also one of the most disappointing saddening and mentally damaging times as well. Radio One is where I learned that Personal Integrity is not always appreciated in the work place. When everyone else is cutting throats its not wise to stick your neck out even for good reasons.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior account manager 1 salary reported	$85,000 per year
Sales account manager 1 salary reported	$62,500 per year

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