Chas Clarkson Reviews

3.0

58% would recommend to a friend

(10 total reviews)

Tim Clarkson

76% approve of CEO

48% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

10 reviews
1.0
26 May 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Casual Christmas hires can have an okay and fairly paid experience; this is not the case for office workers. A select few people are great to work with, but the Pros end there. Leadership—in particular Clarkson direct and extended family members, who essentially act as moles for the CEO—seem to struggle with insecurity, so much so that even a modest level of competence can feel threatening to them. Many in senior positions appear to lack the education, outside-experience, or critical thinking skills necessary for effective decision-making. Ironically, while they rely on staff to fill those gaps, anyone who shows too much initiative or insight risks being marginalized, especially if they speak up with ideas for improvement. I have seen really good and loyal employees at this company pushed out because they wouldn't pander to the micro-managing CEO's ego.

Cons

Note: This review is intended for prospective office staff — as stated above, casual Christmas hires tend to have a different experience. Unfortunately, this company is plagued by serious systemic issues. The CEO demonstrates a lack of respect for employees, often making disparaging remarks publicly. Leadership is weak and heavily influenced by members of the founding family, leading to a culture of favoritism and poor accountability. Pay is low, and KPIs are unrealistic. Questionable business practices appear to prioritize profit over ethics, with major concerns about how clients, suppliers, and even staff are treated. The software and operational systems are outdated and inefficient, adding to daily frustrations. The workforce is largely made up of individuals either new to the industry, dependent on visas, or those who may feel they have limited options elsewhere. High staff turnover is a constant — most employees leave within a year, many sooner. Even senior leaders have walked away; notably, a former Chief Financial Officer resigned after less than two years, citing ethical concerns and unreasonable expectations — such as being asked to take on extra roles without compensation, a pattern repeated across teams and to myself. When people leave, their positions often remain vacant under the guise of “cost-saving,” which only increases the burden on remaining staff. The result is a high-stress environment, reduced service quality, and frequent errors. There is no real appetite for improvement or change, and feedback is rarely welcomed. If you’re considering applying, my honest advice is: look elsewhere.

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Chas Clarkson Response
10mo
We’re sorry to hear you feel this way. We remain committed to fostering a respectful, collaborative, and high-performing workplace, and will continue to prioritise this for our team. While we welcome constructive feedback, referring to the CEO as a “tyrant” is neither professional nor supportive, and does not reflect the values we uphold.
3.0
1 July 2024

Project manager

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company, small office in Melbourne and very tight knit family owned business. Culture is great and they want to make you included in everything

Cons

Pay is very low for the role Systems are outdated Upper management makes a lot of the decisions, not all voices are heard During busy time, oct - jan. say goodbye to your social life. It’s all installs and dismantles.

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Chas Clarkson Response
1y
Thank you for your feedback. We understand the challenges during our peak install & dismantle season, and we make every effort to highlight these commitments in the interview process, during onboarding and in our contracts. Our office slows down for three weeks in January, offering an opportunity for our team to take a much-needed break, and we offer further flexibility during quieter months to help maintain a work-life balance. Additionally, our scheduled "Start Stop Keep" one-on-one meetings are designed to give all team members the opportunity to share their thoughts with a senior manager. We appreciate your feedback and are always looking to improve.
4.0
8 Nov 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good culture, people are good to work with. Very interesting work, big budgets to work with meaning endless creativity. Fast-paced and interesting work environment. Supportive manager within creative.

Cons

Still working on 'flexibility' some of the management team are stuck in old ways... this meant a lot of some topics raised with often no change. Fair bit of micro-management. Install season can be hard and often this makes for a hostile work environment.

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