The Scoop

In 1997, the company gave up Microsoft's Interactive Media Group account, finding it difficult to handle the exponential growth of the high-tech behemoth. WaggEd helped Microsoft select Shandwick U.S.A to handle that business, while continuing to serve as Microsoft's principal PR agency. Giving up part of Bill Gates' empire hasn't hurt the company though. It opened an office in Walldorf, Germany (its first international office) in 1998 and it recently placed third (in terms of 1999 fees) out of all independent PR firms with just over $50 million collected.

Getting Hired

WaggEd posts job openings on its web site. Interested parties can apply via electronic or snail mail. However, "most people come to WaggEd through referrals," say employees, so if you know someone there, have them bring it to Human Resources for you. Insiders say the internship program (which "pays well as internships go") is also a good way for the inexperienced to get started with the company.

The interview process goes thusly: After sifting through resume, HR invites selected candidates for an interview or conducts a phone interview for non-local applicants. If you "pass their test," you begin an "intensive" interview process, consisting of two or three rounds of interviews. Sources report meeting up to 10 different people before receiving an offer. WaggEd "spends a lot of time interviewing candidates," explains one insider, "because they put a lot of time and money into training the people they bring aboard." Though extensive, interviews tend to be "relaxed, getting to know you" situations, say employees, as interviewers are looking for "candidates who fit in well with the culture." They will most likely as questions such as "What is public relations?" "What skills do you have that would benefit the company?" and "Why high-tech PR?" One insider says not to worry too much about the last question, because "most people here had no prior experience in high tech." One unique fact about interviewing at WaggEd is that candidates get to choose the group they with which they want to work. After meeting with junior and senior members of teams that have openings, successful candidates effectively field offers from the various groups that would like them to join.

Our Survey Says

Great training

WaggEd employees are very proud of their company, and describe it as "head and shoulders above other companies in the way it cultivates talented people and the work it produces." The "young, energetic" people in this "fast-paced environment" say "it takes a lot of work to succeed." But they say the experience is "incredibly educational." Sources say "there is a large focus on actual in-house training," which ranges "from computer classes to PR development seminars." The company also provides a liberal budget for off-site training. There is also the opportunity to learn from "a wealth of industry veterans who have been around the block and are more than happy to share their knowledge." Plus, WaggEd "is not a static environment," says one employee, "the company adopts new practices if they work better than an old method - it wants to make sure its employees are up to date on the best practices of PR."

Relaxed atmosphere

Typical office hours are 8:45 to 6:00, though "this can stretch to 7:00 or 8:00 during busy times." But employees enjoy flexible hours and "a very liberal leave policy; if you need to leave early for some reason, you can." In general, "most people keep their own schedules," so employees can take time off "within reason" as their workloads allow.

Unless there is a meeting with clients or reporters, there is no dress code at WaggEd, "to an extreme, I'm afraid," adds one insider. Employees report wearing jeans, shorts, sneakers, and "whatever doesn't have holes in it." Insiders say this casual attitude extends to the corporate culture, and "fosters bold business ideas." "Because we are so comfortable with one another," says one source, "we are able to voice new ideas or challenge historical practices." Another adds that "though the company has very delineated titles, no one has a closed mind." She goes on to describe the "free flow of ideas" that exists between management and junior staff.

Decent benefits

Insiders say salaries are "not awesome," but "good for the Portland area." The company pays for 100 percent of health care benefits. WaggEd does distribute salary surveys "to make sure it is competitive in a very competitive marketplace," and extends its competitive edge by offering additional "top-notch" perks and benefits, like "a generous 401(k)," profit sharing, three weeks of paid vacation, and part-time options for employees with young children.

About 75 percent of WaggEd employees are women, but sources admit "there are not a lot of minorities here." "Coming from Berkeley, I was a little shocked at how white it was here," notes one recent arrival, "but I really don't think there is any ill reason for this." Most say the lack of color "is a reflection of the area. Portland and Seattle do not have large minority populations."

Employment Contact

Colleen Lacter
Human Resources

Key Competitors

Burson-Marsteller;Hill & Knowlton

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