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      FDM Group

      Engaged Employer

      FDM Group reviews

      3.1

      52% would recommend to a friend

      (3,962 total reviews)
      avatar

      Rod Flavell

      55% approve of CEO

      34% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      FDM Group has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 3,962 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The FDM Group employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      4K reviews
      1.0
      Aug 16, 2017

      Complaint

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The location in the heart of London industry and the connection with a range of clients and businesses. Meet a good group of people during my time which helped get through the process

      Cons

      The lack of motivation from the teachers as they seem fed up of teaching the same subjects to people. During the weeks the teachers would have no enthusiasm when explaining the topic and seem dull from their own voice explaining the topic During my time doing the training it was difficult keeping up to date with the subjects as learning excel and sql was completely new tasks for me and it was very challenging to complete within a week especially when it includes doing retakes. There should have been more one to one as it would have helped when completing the tasks There was no explanation that each retake is only 2 attempts and it was a struggle keeping up as I didn't get much help from the teachers as they were too busy to sit down with me to go through it. I was extremely frustrated that I spent so much money relocating down and sacrificing my job for this opportunity as it was an career I was looking to progress in but I was not given enough support during the training period that would benefit me to get through the process. I was travelling on the weekend to serve my notice at my previous job and there is no financial support for that, I explained to them that I will need to travel for work but they questioned me and said did I go for a job interview I am very annoyed with the bursary system as it is unfair to just give £20 a day especially if I am moving all the way to London and relocating and investing everything into the company, there should be more financial support given and understanding that people are sacrificing everything to come work for your company, You should be able to give a little back to the people you are investing in. Yes the training is 20k but from my time there I guarantee it is not 20k and it is a lot less for you to teach us excel and sql, You are just a money making company who do not care about people's well being On my first day, a member of senior management picked me apart on my interview skills, making fun of my skills and it made me feel unwelcomed at the company and it was very demoralizing to be picked apart in front of the rest of the group on the first day

      2.0
      Aug 15, 2017

      Avoid

      Pso/ba
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Some really nice trainers and other departmental staff. I gained the Prince2 classification (thus the 2 stars overall). The offices are also nice but these are only invested in to promote the illusion to the business's they're attempting to contract you to, and probably for the trainers and other staff who deep-down know the business they're working for is wrong, but force themselves to stay - at least they're getting paid, right?

      Cons

      FDM prays on inexperienced professionals with no regards to them as a person. Whether you are a graduate, ex-military or a woman returning to work - I know how you feel - but do yourself a favor and avoid FDM.

      avatar
      FDM Group Response
      8y
      We welcome all feedback and take it very seriously. I’m glad you like our offices and rate the training team highly. I’m sorry you wouldn’t recommend FDM though. Our business model is based on assisting graduates, ex-Forces and returners to work launch/re-launch careers. Our people are the most important asset and are our business, which is why we invest a significant amount of resources into helping people launch careers. The training period is financially funded by FDM: At that point you are training, rather than working – and the salary begins once you’re placed on a client site. It is also at that point when FDM can begin to make a return on the upfront investment that we made in you. The vast majority of FDM consultants progress to enjoy successful and lucrative careers. I’m very sorry it didn’t work out for you though. We always encourage people to post an honest review on Glassdoor in regards to their experience – which may be positive or negative (we do not ask anyone to change ratings or fiddle with them). I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your feedback further if you’re up for it. Please feel free to email me directly, my email address is andy.brown@fdmgroup.com Andy Brown – Chief Commercial Director
      1.0
      Aug 14, 2017

      Be VERY careful

      Java developer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      - Training is useful for someone wanting to enter the IT industry without a background in technology. To someone with a background in technology, this is a waste of time and money as the training covers nothing more than your Computer Science degree did. - Training environment is great, the teachers are attentive and do what they can to help you through the process. - By far the biggest benefit, and the main reason most people choose FDM - their client list is second to none for a graduate recruiter.

      Cons

      I'm not going to labor the usual cons. They've been dealt with thoroughly in other reviews and are all valid, my issues with FDM are much more serious. - Training Contract / Employment Contract. When you start the training, you sign the 'Training Contract'. As has been stated by the COO & CIO in response to other reviews, there is a clause in this contract that gives you a 2 week cooling off period to trial the training to see if it's suitable for you. The Training Contract states that you agree to pay the full cost of the course, which they cap at £20k, at the end of the course, or sign the Employment Contract. The Employment Contract states you have to work for FDM for 2 years. All of these details so far, FDM are open about. What they aren't open about is the contents of the Employment Contract, which does NOT match the promises that they make during the assessment day and the training. When you get to the end of the training and are presented with a choice, sign an Employment Contract, or pay £20k, the average graduate doesn't have an option but to sign it, even after reading the contract for the first time and finding the little surprises hidden therein. Here's a couple: FDM Claim: Throughout the assessment day and training, you're continuously told a statistic - "X% of employees once they finish their 2 year period are employed by the Blue Chip company they are on placement with" Reality: The Employment Contract contains a clause that states that if you terminate your contract, you can not work for any of the clients you have been on placement with. HR claim that this will be waived once the two years are completed, yet there is no clause in the Employment Contract for this. FDM Claim: "A salary of £21,500 1st year, £25,000 second year". Reality: This is nonsense. The Employment Contract states your salary is £18,000 per year, for both the first and the second year. This is the figure that matters. This is the figure that's counted on credit card applications, or mortgage applications. FDM gets to the figure of £21.5k and £25k by adding in their 'daily bonus'. The daily bonus is added to your salary for every day you work on a clients site, and it's paid the month following the work. What they fail to mention is that this daily bonus is 100% optional for them to pay, they have no contractual obligation to follow through on their claim, your actual secured and contracted salary is only £18,000 for each of the two years. The benefits to joining FDM are big, access to clients that are very hard to enter through the front door can give your career a great start. Just make sure you are fully aware of what you're signing up to. You are a product to FDM, not an employee, and they treat you that way. If I had a choice knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have joined FDM.

      avatar
      FDM Group Response
      8y
      Thank you for your very detailed feedback. I would like to address some of your concerns regarding the contract. Both the training agreement and the employment contract are available to review at any stage of the recruitment or training process. Both contracts are very similar, the difference being that one is an agreement during training and the latter being a contract between the employee and employer once placed. The main points of these are addressed at the welcome presentation and before consultants go onsite. We make every effort to ensure transparency as we want our employees to be happy. It is not in our interests for employees to be unhappy. Once the two year bond is completed with FDM, you are free to work with whomever you choose including the client you were working with through FDM. This is in fact a huge benefit to many of our clients as they get to keep a skilled and experienced resource and many of our consultants go on to do this. The restriction clause you are referring to is only enforced during the first two years’ of employment. This protects FDM against those who may drop out prior to fulfilling the two-year agreement. It does concern me that you feel you were treated as a product and not a real person as that is absolutely not how FDM views our people. If you believe that anyone has sent you patronising/arrogant responses please bring these to my attention. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your feedback further. Please come and see me or email me at Andy.Brown@fdmgroup.com
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