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This review does cover many of the same concerns expressed in a second review coincidentally posted on exactly the same day – 30th July 21 – and I will try to address the concerns expressed in both reviews in this response as they seem very similar.
In a specific response to “I'd also point out that the response from the company to each review says enough - not exactly professional”. Glassdoor does advocate employers responding to reviews, both positive and negative, in much the same way as a restaurateur responds to reviews on Trip Adviser. We try to keep the responses professional and polite and I think that two such particularly critical reviews do require a response.
Firstly I am glad that you think we pay well/above market rate and that you enjoyed the Christmas and Summer parties. We do try and make them special events and have sadly missed two Summer Parties and a Christmas Party due to COVID and will try to address this in the autumn. If you did attend our Summer Parties you may also have met the occasional returning alumni and we are proud of maintaining good relations with many of our longer term alumni – we have multiple close friendships that go back over 20 years. We also have a former Consultant returning to the Company this month, which is hopefully a positive endorsement of their prior experiences with us.
I think our hours are very standard for the recruitment industry and we have also greatly reduced these over the past 30 years, from what was a very standard day which we felt was necessary to allow interviewing before and after work for candidates in our offices. Video interviewing may allow these hours to further relax over the short term. You may have heard me suggesting to less experienced Consultants/Researchers to go home on quite a regular basis, but many seem to stay and complete what they are working on?
I think that the level of communication is very personal and COVID has caused us to be careful in our messaging – not wanting to concern, but also wanting to make sure that everyone is aware of current issues. This is particularly important with the approach to new flexible working, with less immediate day to day discussion with colleagues at our desks. We have tried to communicate that we are as an organisation prudent, debt free and consistent in taking longer term views – we had no redundancy programme during COVID. We offer loyalty to our teams and hope to receive the same in return. We are still trying to get the level and format of this right, but as mentioned there are conflicting views at both management and employee level.
We have in recent years hired a Digital Marketing Manager and a Head of Diversity and Inclusion, but believe that we are subscale for a full time HR Manager and prefer to let team leaders handle most HR issues with support from our CFO and Operations Manager where appropriate. We do also have premium Recruiter licences for all Consultants, comprehensive video conferencing and market leading CRM in Bullhorn in our Jermyn Street offices. All Consultants and Researchers now have laptops for home working. I am not aware of us knocking back innovative or radical ideas or being in any way out of touch or guilty of failing to move into the 21st Century?
We do have a strong culture that favours team players – the majority of clients have 3 or possibly 4 people working on an account and there is more support as a result. We do work hard, are conscientious, try and do as good a job as we possibly can and treat both candidates and clients with respect and foster long term relationships. These are both 20th and hopefully 21st Century qualities that we would aspire to.
The office definitely has been quieter in recent months, with more and more people working from home and it does at times feel that we should be spending less time on email and more time talking to people, but there is a good atmosphere, with humour and office banter. I just don’t recognise your comment that “chatting was met with pointed stares”. I have also tried to sense check if there are examples of public shaming and as yet nobody that I have asked amongst management or your former colleagues can think of an example of this. It would be totally unacceptable.
If you had specific views on modernisation, we would be interested in hearing from you, but do probably also believe strongly in more traditional recruitment methods where real relationships, hard work and efficient, well run processes remain key.
If you are a former colleague – and I have to concede that your comment about parties suggests that you are, I am very sad that this is the view you took away from your time here and we will further reflect on some of the points you have raised. If you want to contact me to address any of these points or my response, you know where we are.
