Pros
The Beers really are outstanding.
Cons
New generation area managers that basically want to manage out faces they don't get on with. There's no clear guidelines to develop anyone, so there are scores of people that don't actually have any recognised qualifications after spending time working for this company. Many managers I know fall far within the realms of legality in their sites yet area managers will ignore this as long as profit is there.... unless your face doesn't fit in which it's a tool to get rid of you. High performers end up being marked as people to be pushed out because they threaten to expose the area managers bad practices. There is no even playing field, for one member of staff a gross mis conduct offence is a pure dismissal, for others it's a written warning. I had an employee that should have been fired by HR for serious misconduct but instead HR redeployed the person and gave them a warning. Then they got a pay rise, and I couldn't do anything. The fact is it's a toxic can of worms to start managing people who work for them properly according to their own written policies because they would end up firing the whole work force. All roads lead to the doorstep of awful incompetent middle management. If your unlucky enough to manage a site for them, unless it's a developed site look forward to having no resources to manage the sales expectations, you can be a brilliant leader, show entrepreneurial spirit but the fact is you can't polish a turd and you will get beaten by the competition if your site has not had the investment.. and Fullers, yes they will blame you. Not their uninvested unit that's falling apart or their awful marketing department, you, the manager, it's your fault. There are huge pay gaps between employees of all levels, in one unit the kitchen porter is on more money than a deputy manager in another. Not very inspiring is it. And that makes recruiting not great- when jobs posted online have pay rates all over the place and your offering minimum wage what do you say to candidates?! Personal bias occurs all the time with the area managers- s professional! All their attitudes, beliefs, preferences, and experiences unrelated to an employee's work affects the rating of their performance- If your personality doesnt fit then you may as well accept your fate, the area managers aim is to make you feel so undervalued and humiliated that you will leave of your own accord. And the rubbish thing is, they get away with it.