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Language Connect

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7 reviews
2.0
23 Sept 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good first employment, nice coworkers.

Cons

The company doesn't employ enough people for the amount of work that needs to be done which leads to a constantly stressed and negative environment. The salary is laughable.

2.0
13 Oct 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mostly friendly colleagues, some of them also helpful

Cons

No place for people with good qualifications and experience, as it's not reflected in the salary or position in the company. They have their company darlings, so you have to be liked in order to be accepted as a team member, otherwise you will be branded 'a weirdo'. Strangely enough, they push you into team activities, under the pretext of getting to know each other, when all they're interested in is spying on you and squeezing out information they can't get otherwise. Targets are unrealistic and more importantly, absolutely not achievable, bearing in mind that in the beginning you're only getting a few projects assigned and also of small value. Nevertheless, they tell you you've missed the target when you're not even aware you have one. Absolutely unfair and pretentious. Team management pretend to be transparent, however issues are not escalated. Overtime is paid, but has to be approved and is seen as failure of the PM to complete the work within regular working hours. Thus the pressure is huge. Systems are slow and procedures complicated - even getting a new mouse or headphones can take weeks. The basement office is crammed and outdated. Bathrooms are small and only 2 for 30 people. The so called kitchen is a boiler room where there's space for a kettle and a sink. That's it. No natural light in the basement office. The higher management is ignorant of the small working bees. Salaries are low and the bonus and incentive system is a joke. No possibility to grow into other roles. Employee fluctuation rate is not as low as they claim. People ARE leaving as soon as they've found a better job.

2.0
7 Apr 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Colleagues are friendly. Fruit in the office. Possible to work from home sometimes. Interns are paid.

Cons

Language Connect used to be one of the better translation companies to work for. This was true until the acquisition by The Hut Group (THG) in summer 2018. Unfortunately, since then, the company has changed beyond recognition; its values and culture of efficiency have been eroded, and the original staff have left in droves. Investment: company has a ‘sticking plaster’ approach to filling gaps and always looking for cheap fixes instead of investing in sustainable long-term solutions. Struggling to replace staff that leave, this is due to the (lower than industry average) salaries on offer, which is not mentioned until candidates have wasted their time completing tests and interviewing. Every team is understaffed and it feels like as soon as somebody arrives, someone else hands in their notice. People and culture: No HR since January 2018. Nobody to escalate issues to, or to take charge of recruitment and this is unacceptable for a company of this size and reach. The company’s ever-growing internship scheme means there are always young graduates willing to accept permanent positions. However, these interns turned executives then take on huge clients and assume massive responsibility but this is not reflected in their salary or job title. They will be expected to wait up to a year after passing probation before being made a project manager and given a small pay rise. Overtime cannot be claimed for extra hours spent on admin and some junior members of staff do it in the evenings or at the weekend to try and keep up. Inefficiency: Pre-acquisition staff worked efficiently and this was one of the best things about the company. Now managers spend most of their time chasing THG colleagues in Manchester to sign off on things that they previously had control over. Everything takes far too long and colleagues are increasingly frustrated. Tech – systems and processes have not kept up with the company’s quick growth and staff spend far too much time on manual admin that should be automated. Colleagues who have joined from somewhere else are usually shocked at the outdated technology we are expected to work with. Company is working on new systems but staff are too busy to spend time testing them. Very slow progress. Work/life balance – the company needs to move with the times and realise people have lives outside of work. You’ll be stuck in the office every night until 6 even on a Friday. Management know that staff hate this but are reluctant to consider new ways of working. Many employees have such high workload that they work past 6 on a regular basis. The long hours and low salaries are probably the main reason everyone leaves. It's not hard to find a better offer when there are so many translation companies in London. Poor employee benefits. Facilities – tiny kitchen, horrible toilets and not a sufficient space where staff can sit and relax at lunch. The basement office is unpleasant with no natural light or fresh air. There are too many desks for the space and staff are crammed in. Reading the reviews left on Glassdoor for THG makes for depressing reading and shows their true colours.

1.0
9 Oct 2020

Do not apply

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good office location. Cold water cooler.

Cons

The company is understaffed, so everyone is completely overworked, busy and stressed. The salaries are so low (lower than the London average by a mile), and any bonus is discretionary. Due to the fact that the management are appalling, slow to respond and disorganised, you are at their complete mercy for anything they wish to decide. Managers have no experience, there is no training throughout the company, meaning no one has any idea what is going on. There is no loyalty to the workforce, meaning my colleagues don't care about the business. Team members are rude, misogynistic and mean.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 7 Reviews

Glassdoor has 37 Language Connect reviews submitted anonymously by Language Connect employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Language Connect is right for you.