The firm employs people educated to postgraduate/masters degree level to undertake the most basic of admin tasks such as file opening and conflict checks taking advantage of the shortage of supply in training contracts which creates a very disillusioned attitude.
The computer system is pathetic. The system was 'upgraded' to Windows 2010 from 2003 in earlier this year.
Work environment is not the best. The teams are relatively young but most hate their job and are trying to find a way to leave.
The company claims to have amazing training but they talk a good game and deliver very little. The training is very very poor and lazily taught using online modules.
There are no career opportunities. People get retained in a job when they are good at it rather than encouraged to learn more, develop and move into a new role. Only when a staff member gets a new job does the firm try to keep that person on.
Management have the attitude that a person should be grateful to work for the firm and the view is that they are doing a favour to the employee.
No benefits. Pension contribution is pathetic. No bonus scheme. No Christmas bonus. Staff have to contribute to the cost of the Christmas party because the firm are too tight to pay it in full.
The firm is moving towards factory law. The work is low value, low quality and churned out as quickly as possible. Supervision is poor. Due to the low prices charged to clients the teams are under resourced. The knock on effect is that staff have ridiculously high workloads which are not managed properly by the managers. Staff are under constantly high pressure and have to work ridiculous hours (including early mornings, late evenings, through lunchtimes and weekends) to stay on top of things.
Poor culture which stems from the top down. Management are not accountable for their actions. If something goes wrong the blame is put on the employee when it is often poor supervision by management that is the root of the problem.