Pros
Very good response to COVID with staff reassured at every step. A fairly pedestrian work environment - which is good if you like that sort of thing. Decent pension. Annual group bonus - total 10% of salary - has averaged about 85-95% in recent years. You could eek it out for quite some time before anyone noticed that you aren’t delivering anything - if you were so inclined - as they really struggle to sack people for under performing. Nice locations and grounds. Genuinely first class facilities. Parking on site. Well respected brand in the market within their particular niche. Some decent people dotted here and there in the business that are pleasant to deal with. Some people may like the touchy-feely veneer which includes things like gift boxes, team bonding days and other staff engagement initiatives, but it wasn’t my cup of tea and I found it all a bit weirdly over the top.
Cons
The overarching feeling I got was that there is more than a whiff of snobbery about the place, and the culture felt a bit provincial and cloying. Very hierarchical culture informs almost every activity and conversation, something I found particularly stifling. About 30 years behind the curve when it comes to attitudes towards diversity, and there doesn’t seem to be any appetite to change this currently. Didn’t seem to be a particularly meritocratic culture to me, and nepotism is rife. Limited career opportunities in reality. Not a single person was promoted in my division during my entire time with the business. Careers page claims that study support towards professional qualifications is available but I was refused this, even though others in the team were supported. Bullying. I know of several people who have had to take time off or who have left because the toxic nature of some departments has caused them to experience mental health issues. Take the Gallup engagement score and ‘Great Place To Work’ accolade with a massive pinch of salt - staff are actively encouraged to score the company highly and negative feedback via the survey is not welcomed.
