National Grid - UK Reviews

Pros

Good remuneration package i.e pension,sharesaves etc A certain level of job security though this has been somewhat eroded in recent years.

Cons

No developmental opportunities and feel under utilised and under valued. In recent years, management have adopted a style close to bullying. Lack of recruitment and new blood in this part of the industry. Free wheeling lower tier managers. Office staff are promoted and grow their careers whilst field engineers are ignored. There is a tendency to promote people just to fill quotas eg women in management etc.

Advice to Senior Management

Value your employees. Grow and recruit from the ground up. Harness their years of experience. Stop treating long term employees as disposable tools that are discarded when they malfunction. Make coal face reality agree with the Corporate imaging which is inaccurate and disingenuous.

Pros

Opportunity to experience whole energy market sectors. Sufficient engineering and commercial challenges. Good job stability, opportunities for staff training, further education and development.

Cons

In some ways a classic formerly state-run company. The management structure is rigid, sometimes inflexible. Can be difficult to present innovative solutions

Advice to Senior Management

Move towards a flatter structure, more dynamic team leadership. Synthetic parachuting of middle management from other skill areas to lead engineering teams is dubious

Pros

Good Market Related Salary.
Excellent Benefits
Good Work Life Balance

Cons

Very Big Company. Recogniton not easily recognised.

Advice to Senior Management

Haven't been at the Company long enough to provide constructive criticism to the Leadership Style at National Grid.

Pros

Flexibility at work to balance family and time, stable job.

Cons

Lip service when comes to employee retention. Does not pay employee the cost of living raises. Currently the management bullies people to say what the management wants to hear. The salaries are getting worse with time. Management preaches one team but considers their staff worthless when it comes to them getting decent compensation while paying themselves good bonuses.

Advice to Senior Management

You get what you pay for. Pay people quality salaries. Currently experienced staff are being replaced by students. The company management should share the company profits with the employees as well. Retain your experienced people.

Pros

Great support during my summer internship. I was working on real life problems from day one. There were a number of opportunities to do site visits.

Cons

It is difficult to try and work in the US side of the business as a UK employee. I think the pay structure could be a lot better as well.

Advice to Senior Management

I do believe the hierarchy system at NG is very good. There also seems to be feedback from your managers and also you are able to contact higher up managers if need be.

Pros

Job security, good training, knowledge sharing, flexible working hours, friendly people
stable salary, holidays

Cons

poor incentive or bonus, shortage of parking places

Advice to Senior Management

Do not see the future of the company

Pros

culture, work/ life balance encouraged, flexible working arrangements on offer and happen, celebration of diversity, support and encouragement of colleages in general

Cons

Career progression, promotion, performance review system as it does not motivate/ demotivate fairly, lip service sometimes paid to human resources processes

Advice to Senior Management

Develop transparent human resource processes and ensure they are followed. Maintain the culture, continue to encourage more diversity and could benefit more from new recruits with cross sector skills.

Pros

Many employees have been here for years and that shows a level of satisfaction. Despite some restructuring (nothing too major), the company is a stable business with opportunities within. Although more progress is needed, the company's commitment to inclusion and diversity is there at many levels.

Cons

With so many employees who have been here a long time, some areas move a little slower than ideal. Many started when the company was a lot smaller and they are still adjusting to being employed by an international company.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue your focus on retaining and developing diverse employees to create leadership of the future.

Pros

It is somewhat stable company, but this could change in the future. Most of my co-workers are pleasant to work with.

Cons

Outsourcing to India.
Only concerned with the bottom line and not the quality of the service that we provide to the public.

Advice to Senior Management

National Grid is a regulated utility company (monopoly). Excellent customer service should be the top priority, not the bottom line.

Pros

Nice new facility housing 1800+ employees in waltham mass. However the facility was put in a place where it make the commute unbearable for the majority of the employees. Many commute times to and from work are over 2 hours.

Cons

National Grid as a company has lost touch with the reality of their workers and support staff. They are a greedy company that no longer gives raises (not even cost of living) and they have started to nibble away at benefits over the last few years. You no longer get a pension working here. Management seems to only tell you what they want you to hear and not the realities of what their plans are which is a largely outsourced workforce so they can "increase shareholder value". This means - Hi we are cheap! The company used to be great before national grid bought New England Electric and people were happy and got along. National grid has sucked the life out of the company and its employees and now bring in a bunch of Indians to work cheaply to save a few bucks. Stay clear of national grid if you value your patience and you sanity.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a grip on reality. Stop managing by bullying people around. Give a cost of living raise each year. The company raises its rates to make more money - the employees deserve at least a cost of living wage adjustment. Overall - please just stop sucking. Thank you.