We understand that the success of our business is directly tied to the satisfaction and happiness of our employees, which is why we prioritize the well-being of our team over the pursuit of profits.
We believe in balancing daily quality of life with long-term outcomes, creating a sustainable and fulfilling workplace for our team. This means investing in professional development, offering a flexible schedule, encouraging creativity, and providing a supportive work culture. We also strive to foster community within the agency, promoting teamwork and collaboration to achieve our common goals.
At Design Marketing Studio, we are more than just a marketing agency. We are a team of individuals who believe in the power of putting people first. We are committed to creating an exceptional work experience for our employees, so they can do their best work and achieve their full potential professionally and personally.
OUR AGENCY
What does Design Marketing Studio specialize in?
Our studio specializes in offering digital marketing solutions to the interior design industry in the U.S., providing comprehensive support to design studios, design-build firms, showrooms, manufacturers, and SaaS. We offer a range of services, including web development, SEO, social media management, and digital advertising, to help design businesses with all their digital promotion needs.
What sets Design Marketing Studio apart from other agencies?
We pride ourselves on being a unique business that values professional excellence and personal autonomy. With less than two dozen team members, we prioritize a small, folksy, and personal approach over becoming a large tech company. Our culture values responsible self-management and rejects the traditional trappings of prestige or office politics. We keep it simple and professional, prioritizing individual needs, including working moms who seamlessly integrate into our team on their own terms. We work remotely as an international team spanning three continents.
Any other DMS advantages?
Our commitment to job security is unwavering. As a privately held company, we’ve never laid off a single employee, we always have enough work to keep our team busy, and we have zero corporate debt. This sets us apart from major corporations that are quick to lay off thousands of employees in difficult economic times. Our small, family-run business model provides stability and security for our entire team.
What is a captive marketing agency?
A “captive” marketing agency is an agency that works exclusively for one specific company. In our case, we work exclusively with a single marketing agency in the U.S. that specializes in interior design and architecture marketing.
What are the advantages of a captive marketing agency?
- Heightened control over marketing and advertising functions
- Increased resource allocation flexibility
- The more efficient decision-making process
- Non-hierarchical (flat) communication lines
- Opportunities for growth and advancement within the company
- Supportive and collaborative work environment
- Ability to see the impact of your work on the company and brand in real-time
- More stable work environment and job security
- A buffer between our team and demanding end-clients
- Financial reliability/certainty (we always get paid on time)
- Focus on quality, not the quantity of work
- A general absence of time stress and hard deadlines
- Focus on long-term, not short-term, effectiveness
- DMS doesn’t have to do any self-promotion or sales
- Our partner provides us with as much work as we can handle
WORK
What kind of work will I be doing at DMS?
The work at DMS can range from brand strategy to creative design, advertising, digital marketing, and more. The focus is mainly on executing the marketing and branding goals of our partner client’s clients. We think of them as ‘grandclients’ as we are not responsible for managing their relationships. In addition, we work on special web projects and initiatives owned by our partner.
Are there opportunities for growth and advancement at a captive marketing agency like DMS?
Yes, there are plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement as you gain a deeper understanding of processes. Your growth within our organization is only limited by how much you put into your work. You may take on more responsibility and advance to higher-level positions. Recruitment for higher-level positions always begins from within, as the selection process is merit-based.
WORK-LIFE
What are Design Marketing Studio’s flexible work hours?
The company trusts its employees to manage their own time effectively and be productive. We offer a flexible work-hour policy allowing employees to set their schedules and work outside the traditional workday, if they choose. This gives employees the ability to balance their personal and professional lives, as well as to work during their most productive hours. It is common for us to have a mom team member get a little work in before the kids wake up and then continue when they are off to school. Others choose to work while the kids are at school.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of hours that must be worked each week?
No, there is no fixed minimum or maximum number of hours that must be worked each week. However, employees must meet their project responsibilities in a timely manner, according to their priority levels. Typically, we see team members working a minimum of 30-40 hours per week; however, no fixed limitations or expectations exist. Some stay-at-home moms will work just 20 hours per week and are still valuable team members.
Can employees work from home?
Yes. You are likely most productive by having a fixed, ergonomically correct workspace in our Mysore office or in a well-planned home office. However, we don’t prescribe where you work. Team members regularly take their laptops with them while visiting family for extended periods, often shortening their workdays during such periods.
How does Design Marketing Studio ensure productivity with flexible work hours?
The agency trusts and depends on its employees to manage their time effectively and be productive outside of traditional work hours. We communicate primarily with Slack messaging and within a Project Management Software. Our tasks have deadlines and priority levels, and we depend on our team to be aware of both. From our perspective, it doesn’t matter where and when you do your work; instead, what matters is that the work is done well and without undue delay. Self-management is the key here.
What kind of time off is available to employees at Design Marketing Studio?
At Design Marketing Studio, we understand the importance of balancing work and personal life. In exchange for your hard work and dedication, we offer flexible time off to accommodate your personal and family obligations. This flexible work schedule comes with its own responsibilities, so it is an excellent match for people who are strong in self-managing.
Can I take extended time off for a vacation or family event at Design Marketing Studio?
Yes, at Design Marketing Studio, we encourage our employees to take the time they need to recharge and enjoy life outside of work. We are flexible with providing ample time off for employees to take extended vacations or attend important family events. Our goal is to create a work-life balance that works for our employees and the business. However, we ask that employees make early requests for extended leaves so that management can oversee their preparation process to ensure that work is done. Sometimes a team member works ahead before their leave; other times, they train and assign their workload to another team member. That is all agreed upon in discussions with management. So, with due notice and a responsible approach, we can usually make it happen.
How is work time tracked?
We use time-tracking software that gets turned on when you begin working, paused when you step away, and turned off at the end of the day.
What’s the advantage of time-tracking over fixed salaries?
Time-tracking is an integral part of our company culture as it perfectly balances personal autonomy and organizational needs. Time-tracking ensures you get paid for every minute you put into DMS work. By not giving fixed salaries, management has none of the typical Indian incentive to squeeze Saturdays or evenings out of the team – and no one likes to be squeezed. With time-tracking, you have the dignity of controlling your schedule without management being concerned about whether you are working enough to match your monthly salary.
Is there paid time off for holidays?
Yes, Design Marketing Studio provides paid time off for the primary 5.5 days of significant festivals observed in Mysore. This paid time off is calculated on a prorated basis (taking into account full-time work for the entire year) and granted at the end of the calendar year. We actively support employees in taking leaves for holidays that hold personal, cultural, or religious significance to them.
JOIN THE TEAM
Sounds great; how do I apply?
It all begins on our careers page. The summary is to send your cover letter to jobs@designmarketing.biz explaining: the position that you are applying for, why you are a great match for this position, if you prefer to work in our Mysore office or work from home, and your current (or last) and expected salary. Make sure to include the Loom video link, resume/CV, and any supporting materials such as a portfolio, writing samples, etc., if applicable to the position.
Why an answers video before you even review my application and decide if you are interested?
A resume only provides a limited understanding of an individual. We request a 5-minute answers video to gain a more personal insight into our candidates.
Why do you assign assessments to candidates?
Once our team reviews your application, based on your resume, cover letter, and answers video, if we identify a fit between you and our organization, we’ll assign you an assessment. The assessment is designed to get to know you and how you approach tasks from an angle not available through these other mediums. It is all about ensuring that you are the right fit for the job and organization, and, just as importantly, that our organization is the right fit for you. Assessment scores are used to understand which roles you might best play and how you fit into our structure. We don’t expect candidates to be test toppers. The goal is to understand you, not judge you. And we are very aware that these assessments have their limitations, and we don’t give them undue influence over the hiring decision. Do your best, but don’t be too serious about it.
How long does it take to process job applications at Design Marketing Studio?
It depends on our current client workload. We don’t have a designated HR department, and we take on hiring based on our availability to process applicants. When we post jobs online, it is a strong indicator that we are actively reviewing candidates.
Do you respond to every job application?
We can only guarantee a response to job applications that include an answers video. These applications are passed on to management for review, and we promise to carefully consider the candidate’s application if they invest the time and effort into creating a video.
What are the next steps in the hiring process at Design Marketing Studio?
After the initial application and review, selected candidates will be invited for an interview or two. Following the interviews, selected candidates will be offered a paid trial assignment to evaluate the fit between the candidate and the company. This allows both sides to test the working relationship before making a final decision. We approach hiring with a focus on building long-term, sustainable employee relationships.
How do I ask a question that wasn’t addressed here?
Feel free to email jobs@designmarketing.biz, and we’ll do our best to address your concerns.