What is the salary like at Northumbrian Water Group?

Senior managers are all generally accessible and nice people. Good H&S culture and the pay is good for the role that i do

Can sometimes be difficult to get things done quickly

Salary for a contact centre advisor in the NE is good, and it's more than some team leaders or managers will earn in other companies especially if you're on the standby rota in the Ops Team. Good pension contributions. All IT kit is provided and PPE or uniform items if you ask for them. Free coffee and tea is available but you have to make it yourself (we used to have well-stocked coffee machines but they got rid of them because they cost too much). Access to plenty of support services like digital GP, and local companies can ask to sell their stuff from a stand in reception. Most days there's plenty of parking in the 2 car parks, and hybrid working in the contact centres helps manage work/life balance. Some new employee support networks, supportive unions, and there are opportunities for development and secondment if you want them. Great community culture where everyone joins in to help with incidents and it really is like a family in some parts.

Benefits are being watered down to save money, like the tea and coffee I mentioned, and the choice in some areas is very limited. Very expensive salary sacrifice car provider that puts people off and some government schemes just seem to have NWL branding attached. Car park and Northumbria House can get very busy on some days, especially at the start of the week, and it can be difficult to find somewhere. Some really awful managers joining from other companies who just don't understand the NWL culture or people and are only focussed on performance instead of people. Some managers will only talk to other managers and not the 'little people' which I've heard someone use to describe advisers. Other reviews have criticised the food and coffee in the canteen and I wholeheartedly agree with them.

Good salary van provided for commute

Management not so good, takes too long to respond

There's a reason Northumbrian Water is on multiple Great Place to Work UK lists (Overall, for Women, for Development, etc.), it's because so much effort and resources goes into making this a fantastic workplace. Pay is standard to high for the North, but it's the benefits and the people that make this what it is. The grad scheme I'm on has already provided me with absolutely invaluable experience in my area and I am given an excellent balance of actual responsibilities and shadowing opportunities to suit my interests and workload capacity, A lot of my graduate friends at other companies work awful hours under overbearing managers for meagre pay on their grad scheme, while NW could not be more different. I do feel it slightly depends on who is your manager and who is on your team (everyone in my team is so lovely), and there are fluctuations in busy times because of how the industry works (i.e. audit periods, reacting to legal changes and incidents) but apart from that this could not be a better place to work. The flexibility and development are standouts for me, as I really value being trusted to work from home, being given workload adjustments as needed through regular check-ins with my manager (not all are like this but mine is incredibly on it), and as a graduate having access to plenty of colleague networks and internal opportunities. Every company has its difficult managers and tricky days, but as a whole I could not recommend this company enough, though the company accolades and reviews speak for themselves.

As mentioned in the pros, I might feel differently if my manager was less supportive.

Friendly colleagues. Management listens. Good pay

Tedious call centre work in some areas

Good pay Flexible working Interesting work Great teams, locally and in the wider context People come first Warm, welcoming atmosphere Supportive managers at every level Self development encouraged

I have not come across any cons in my role

Flexible Good management Good pay

Working hours No work from home

Good contact centre salary for the NE. I'm in Billing, but Ops advisors also get standby and callout. People-first company with strong wellbeing offering, including support networks, free Digital GP, and just started a screening drive for 3 common cancers. Okay benefits, with free tea and coffee if you're willing to make it yourself. Community feeling, definitely not a normal company. Big environmental focus and lots of opportunities to volunteer. Some very good line managers who care about their teams. Lots of commitment to the company and people stay with the company. NWL has nailed hybrid working, with the option to be permanently in the office if you want it. Strong flexible working options. CEO has monthly unscripted calls where she takes questions from anyone and on any subject. Never come across that in other companies and makes her very accessible. Strong safety culture in all areas.

Some of the new leaders are abysmal and just don't understand the company culture or they refuse to adapt to our culture. Billing teams are too large with too many advisors for each manager. Not the managers fault, just poor leadership and resource planning. Restaurant is expensive for what you get, and the coffee machine needs replaced. Restaurant coffee is terrible just to echo what others have said (don't know how many people have to say this to make someone listen). Some days are incredibly busy and it's difficult to get parked. Cramming more and more people into the contact centres. They have 'Performance Advocates' who are reviled by many, especially managers. Northumbria House is 50yrs old and not the best building to work in, needs a lot of work.

Good Pay People are friendly Facilities are good Good work life balance

You're just a cog to be thrown around and abused which is very distressing and has a massive impact to your mental health. If you try and say anything you just get shot down with the term "needs of the business" Don't be too good at your job others on the same pay aren't.

Friendly, communicative, great starter job

non-competitive salary, discriminative against age