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      Checkatrade

      Engaged Employer

      Checkatrade reviews

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      2.7

      39% would recommend to a friend

      (340 total reviews)
      avatar

      Jambu Palaniappan

      47% approve of CEO

      42% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.4

      Compensation and benefits

      3.3

      Diversity & inclusion

      2.8

      Work/Life balance

      2.8

      Career opportunities

      2.6

      Culture & values

      2.5

      Senior management

      Checkatrade has an employee rating of 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 340 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Checkatrade employee rating is 30% below average for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      340 reviews
      1.0
      Nov 10, 2023

      Where reputation no longer matters

      Engineering
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      They provide a strong benefits package, but job security reduces its value. Typically, competitive salaries.

      Cons

      I am dismayed to have observed ineffective, toxic, inexperienced, and power-hungry senior management and leadership undermine the brand reputation and working culture of this formerly reputable company, unfairly impacting the livelihoods of dedicated employees. When I started at Checkatrade, it was a welcoming workplace, albeit not without flaws. The people made it great. However, a rapid and detrimental culture shift occurred due to misguided promotions within the Engineering team. Bullying, unfair performance practices, inconsistent bonuses, unrealistic delivery commitments, indecisive priorities, non-technical leaders in engineering, top-down workload management, an authoritarian approach to development, and overcommitted, misaligned roadmaps created a perfect storm. Initially, there was hope as new engineering leadership emerged with CTO Mal Minhas, who initially made a positive impression on most of the engineering team. However, this optimism was short-lived. Mal Minhas has demonstrated poor leadership by surrounding himself with unqualified and culturally incompatible direct reports, many of whom have faced multiple formal complaints to HR that have had no repercussions. Mal Minhas adopts a non-collaborative approach to developing technical strategies, lacks essential people skills (often choosing to work in the kitchen rather than with the engineers), and seems to support half-baked ideas by referencing blogs as his source of knowledge. His average tenure of less than 2 years in any job over the last 10 years raises questions about his suitability as a leader and his commitment to the company and its people. Expecting support from HR? You might have better luck seeking sympathy from Elon Musk. The history of no repercussions for managers with logged complaints, often resulting in promotions, reflects a flaky approach. Despite raising a complaint, I experienced HR's sensitivity, but the promised actions regarding another senior manager were never followed up, which led to additional discrimination. In the additional complaint of discrimination, I was informed that it had been 'noted' and wouldn't be investigated since I was leaving. CPO John Frith, often credited as employee number two, needs to consider change. Dismissing bad Glassdoor reviews as the result of 'disgruntled ex-employees' shows a complete disregard for understanding why these individuals left and felt compelled to warn others. Maybe it's not them, John; it's Checkatrade! Lastly, if you value working for a company that takes data protection seriously, seek alternatives. Critical failures of data handling, storage, and access the company has not fixed issues raised to them this year. Should HR choose to try and spin this review to your cookie cutter “we do our best, sorry you feel this way, please contact us” response, save it. It’s best you leave it for the ICO to determine if you are actually doing your best. Checkatrade’s engineering department is in a worse state than it’s ever been and I don’t think with a single ounce of optimism that I have, that it will get better. Those now in charge are more toxic than the last lot that were cleared out.

      avatar
      Checkatrade Response
      2y
      Many thanks for taking the time to leave us your review. It’s great to see that you recognised our strong benefits package and competitive salaries. With the cons and advice to management points you have stated, from a HR standpoint, we can confirm that we take immediate action and provide support to all our people. We take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and will immediately investigate all allegations, complaints and grievances which are raised with us, and reach appropriate resolutions and outcomes as a result. Data protection is also taken extremely seriously at Checkatrade – the safety of our customer and employee data is our absolute priority and the working practices with which we use data adhere to strict industry standards and guidelines. We are on an exciting journey of accelerated growth and transformation, which includes new leadership, a new mission, and new company values. We’re also taking a new architecture direction too – which includes huge technical changes to our internal systems and processes. After 25 years, the ongoing success of Checkatrade offers many long-term job opportunities for exceptional talented people to thrive. However, as with any business, it is necessary to continuously review that we have the right structures in place to facilitate our growth, which means having the right the people in the right roles. If you would like to discuss your detailed comments regarding individual members of our Leadership Team in more detail, we encourage you to contact our Chief People Officer, John Frith directly on john.frith@checkatrade.com. We wish you luck in your next role.
      1.0
      May 7, 2025

      Thinking of joining Checkatrade? Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store:

      Data analyst
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Free coffee and cold boxed lunches on Thursdays

      Cons

      Welcome Committee: First impressions matter—and nothing says "welcome" like the literal turd I (and many others) encountered in the reception area. Was it an office pet? A rogue prank? Or just an omen of what was to come? The mystery remains unsolved, but the stench lingers—both literally and figuratively. Leadership Roulette: If stability is what you’re after, prepare to be dazzled by a revolving door of leadership. Three CTOs in a single year! Blink and you'll miss the next reorg or hastily updated vision statement. Leadership’s main skill? Making themselves scarce when things go sideways. The "Family" Culture: Management loves to talk about the "Checkatrade family," which is funny because it feels more like a messy breakup. Massive redundancies left staff shell-shocked—sometimes with just hours' notice—while survivors were cheerily "invited" to write glowing five-star Glassdoor reviews. Nothing says morale boost like forced positivity after your friends get axed. The Bottom Line: I’ve had some rough jobs, but this one takes the (slightly moldy) cake. Honestly, I’d rather move back in with my parents, clean their gutters, and relive my teenage years than step foot in this place again. Avoid. Just... avoid.

      avatar
      Checkatrade Response
      11mo
      Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. While it’s never easy to read something so strongly worded, we do take feedback like this seriously, because it offers us an opportunity to reflect, learn, and continue improving. We understand that moments of change, particularly when it comes to leadership transitions and organisational decisions, can be unsettling. It’s never our intention for people to feel disconnected or unclear about what’s happening around them. That’s something we’re working hard to improve. We’re building a culture rooted in greater transparency, clearer communication, and genuine respect for the people who help drive this business forward. That focus is shaping the way we work, from how we lead, to how we listen. We’ve introduced more regular opportunities for honest, open discussion across the business: whether through live questions at all-hands, fireside chats, or open Slack forums where anyone can raise a point, challenge decisions, or share their thoughts directly with leadership. These conversations have become an important part of how we strengthen connection and trust, especially during periods of change. We also want to be clear that this isn’t about polishing our Glassdoor score. We genuinely see feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable, as a critical part of understanding where things need to improve. If we don’t hear what’s not working, we can’t act on it. That’s why we’re focused on listening carefully, understanding what people are really experiencing, and building clear plans that move us forward in a better, more informed way. We’ve put real energy into making sure our values aren’t just words we reference occasionally, but something people experience day to day. That means creating space for diverse perspectives, supporting open dialogue, and encouraging respectful challenge - from every level of the business. We know there’s more to do, and we’re not claiming to have it all figured out. But we’re proud of the direction we’re heading, and we’re committed to building a culture that’s not only more open, but more inclusive and more human. We’re sorry this wasn’t your experience, and we wish you all the best in whatever comes next. Thank you again for sharing your perspective - it plays a role in helping us move forward.
      3.0
      Jun 29, 2024

      What happened?

      Operations agent
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The people that I work with, especially within the department, are always there for each other. There are some good benefits, free gym membership, smart-tech.

      Cons

      When I joined Checkatrade, I was sold on the idea that they were set up to help and protect homeowners from rogue trades. Everything that Checkatrade stood for has been slowly chipped away. I used to be proud to say I work for Checkatrade because I believed they were doing the right things for the right reasons. Checkatrade has strayed far from its original mission, choosing to chase profits at the expense of homeowners' trust and well-being. This shift not only undermines the company's integrity but also jeopardises its future. It is crucial for them to reassess their priorities, recommit to their founding principles, and remember that true success lies in genuinely serving the needs of their customers and homeowners, not in maximising short-term profits. Only by returning to their roots can they hope to regain the trust and loyalty of the homeowners they were meant to protect. In a bid to expand rapidly and capture more market share, Checkatrade has diluted its brand. This expansion has come at the cost of maintaining the high standards that initially set the company apart. This and the recent changes that have happened are having a huge demoralising effect on the current staff Being based in a naval city I shall end with this: I believe that the once sturdy ship, that has dealt with many a rough sea, without a clear direction, will run aground or face mutiny

      avatar
      Checkatrade Response
      1y
      Thank you for your review. We are pleased hear you continue to enjoy our great range of benefits and appreciate the peers around you. Change can be hard to navigate, but it's inevitable. We've brought in some of the best leaders in the tech industry to help us navigate through the next stage of our journey. Our mission is defined, regularly communicated and we are actively asking each and every person across the business to get behind it. Our mission is to be the trusted foundation of every home. Being customer centric sits at the very heart of it. We have invested on entire functions that continually run research across both sides of our marketplace to inform our decisions and we are building innovative products that will enable us to meet and exceed those needs. Our consumer app being the latest example. Our people across the business have a generational opportunity to be part of revolutionising the home improvements sector. We hope you decide to embrace this journey with optimism.
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      Glassdoor has 357 Checkatrade reviews submitted anonymously by Checkatrade employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Checkatrade is right for you.