Network Rail Reviews

Pros

There is a good scope of growth and career development.
Pension benefits are good too.
Flexible work hours is an added bonus.

Cons

Sometimes too bearaucratic... things move slowly in network rail.
Unions make it harder for the company to progress as swiftly as other private companies do.

Pros

Company Profile is good / ok

Cons

Everything else including line management

Advice to Senior Management

Needs more people focus

Pros

Safe industry to be in - there'll always be a railway. Benefits are pretty good (defined benefit salary, travel loans). Work is fairly interesting

Cons

Very political - it's all about face fitting. Deeply unfair review process, all about creeping around top bosses

Advice to Senior Management

try sticking to the principles you have dreamed up - it seems like it's don't do as I do, do as I say

Pros

Graduate management scheme programme is an opportunity to rise on the professional ladder

Cons

Staff renumeration is not encouraging

Advice to Senior Management

Staff development is important as it motivates staff in producing quality work. Some managers are more focussed on staff performing their role and giving them limited opportunity to pursue courses. this has to be looked into.

Pros

job satisfaction. Good work atmosphere. Good pay. Wonderful benefits from the employer. Good people with good brains work here. Over all good company.

Cons

Odd hours. Repittitive work to be done always. Not much of challenging job. Looking for some more wonderful opportunities in the same field.

Advice to Senior Management

Please take some good bunch of trainers and please do not go on selecting people from a particular community. It is killing the community aspect.

Pros

Good perks - 28 days A/L standard, rising to 30 after 10 years service.
A %age reduction for your season ticket to travel to work. They also used to give an interest free loan to pay the reduced rate.
Reasonably flexible on work location if you have to deal with things at home and I recall a 1 day a month work from home policy.

Cons

Little room to manoeuvre into new roles - seems to be very 'silo'd.
Lots of processes (some there for good reason) and it seems to take ages to get anything done.
Manager to subordinate locations can sometimes be hundreds of miles apart and you may feel a bit detached at times...

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your people more and act on what they say, otherwise they will become disillusioned.

Pros

Training, team work, pride in work

Cons

bureaucratic like any large company, not dynamic and driven enough to stand alone as a profit making company, too many employees 'cruising' in roles without being challenged to improve.

Advice to Senior Management

You've got a difficult job as the company has a long history as a public service. Moving in the right direction. stronger continued leadership required. Most important, filtering of information down to the employees - we like to know what is going on so that we have a sense of pride and belongingness in the company.

Pros

Training and development is second to none with a huge emphasis on training and giving individuals exposure to real responsibility and different parts of the business. The management throughout the business is very profesional and have a real willingness to see people progress.

Cons

The very large organisational and managent hierachy makes decision making and change difficult, with too many management levels involved. This makes the company inflexible and slow compared to more commercially orientated organisations to adapt and develop initiatives.

Advice to Senior Management

Look to give local managers more discretion in making business changes/decisions and not to be so incumbunt upon HQ directives and policies.

Pros

The salary when compared to any retail outlet is fantastic you dont do as much work and if your a people person the day will fly by with all the customer you'll encounter.

Cons

With more and more stations opening longer hours some even being open 24 hours you are required to work what is called unsocialable hours this can be ideal for some just not if you have numerous out of work commitments.

Advice to Senior Management

Make certain job roles more specific instead of trying to spread and cover them all under one job title this leads to uncertainty and confusion for all staff involved instead of giving them a clear direction to focus and provide what is needed of them.

Pros

good job oppertuities, lots of progression, job security. Majority of the people kind and helpful and will go out there way to show you somewthing that you may not understand

Cons

Takes a long time the whole interview process so sometimes can take a while to get answers, saying that i have had worse

Advice to Senior Management

As far as safety is concerned stop trying to penny pinch, if it aint broke leave it alone? Stop tinkering with safety when it already runs like a well oiled machine. Change for changes sake never was a good idea.