Unstable leadership, micromanagement, and little regard for staff wellbeing - Customer Experience Midland Heart Employee Review

2.0
28 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My direct line manager was genuinely kind and supportive on a personal level. The other line managers were also nice people. Colleagues within the team were hardworking and doing their best in a very difficult environment. They were very welcoming and genuine people. The role itself had potential and could be rewarding with stability.

Cons

I worked here for around five months, and unfortunately the experience was overwhelmingly negative due to management culture and instability. Within my first five months there were six full team meetings. One of these was during my first week and was used almost entirely to tell the team what we were doing wrong. Across my time there, I never once experienced positive feedback or recognition, even when targets were met. The culture felt very much like “the beatings will continue until morale improves”. In my second week, both managers “left” with immediate effect, which was a very poor first impression. They were replaced by an interim manager who, in a team meeting, effectively described the team as overpaid. I later learned that this level of instability and constant change had been ongoing for years, with no meaningful improvement. Targets were frequently changed or added. Every week brought new priorities layered on top of existing ones, often without removing or rebalancing workload. Even when targets were achieved, there was no acknowledgement. Human error was treated punitively rather than as an opportunity for learning. The role was advertised and accepted as hybrid, but this was later changed to requiring four days a week in the office with only two working days’ notice. I was open and honest about my difficult financial situation and explained that this level of commuting would be very challenging for me. This was met with a complete lack of empathy or flexibility, which ultimately prompted me to start looking elsewhere. The environment is a micromanager’s paradise. Staff are closely monitored, pressured, and not listened to when they say they are struggling. Senior leadership felt distant. When I left, I was asked whether I would be willing to take part in an exit interview, which I agreed to. However, no interview was ever scheduled. This felt reflective of the wider culture, feedback is asked for, but not genuinely followed through. Overall, the atmosphere was miserable, morale was extremely low, and there was a complete absence of positivity or encouragement.

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Midland Heart Response
4mo
We appreciate your feedback and we’re sorry to hear you feel this way. We want all of our colleagues feel valued, trusted and supported in their roles to deliver the best possible outcomes for our tenants. We’d like to learn more about your experience so that we can identify where there are areas we need to make further improvements. If you have not done so already, please get in touch with our Head of People, Jenny.Hemmings@midlandheart.org.uk to discuss these matters further.

Explore other reviews about Midland Heart

5.0
12 July 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very good place to work

Cons

No cons at all All is good

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Midland Heart Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your comments. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed being part of our team and benefited from the work we’ve done to create a positive working environment for all colleagues. That’s something also recognised on a national scale this year with us being placed in the top 50 large companies to work for by Best Companies.
4.0
4 Mar 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Open office is nice if you enjoy being sociable. Managers do listen to your concerns. There's a culture of discussing ideas freely.

Cons

Can be a bit hierarchical at times.

1
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Midland Heart Response
3y
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us and for recognising the work we’ve been doing to collaborate with our colleagues to continue building inclusive working environment where everyone feels supported to thrive in their career. Along with providing specialist training for our managers so they are well equipped to support their teams, we seek regular feedback through our employee body, our Colleague Champions, who are always on hand to listen to feedback from colleagues and share with senior leaders. We also encourage colleagues to take part in our annual b-heard survey, and we’re delighted to say we were named by Best Companies as one of the top 50 large companies in the UK to work for in 2023 based on their feedback in our most recent survey. Following the feedback, we’ve launched our Your Voice in Action campaign, continuing to take action on the important issues that matter to our colleagues as highlighted in the survey. We’re always open to new ideas on how we can develop our offering and working environment, and we’d encourage you to share any ideas with us by emailing AskHR@MidlandHeart.org.uk.
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