What would I tell a friend about working here?
Pros
These are some of the reasons why I like working here: • The People – you hear this said a lot but it’s genuinely true. I’ve made lifelong friends here & have the chance to work with committed, caring & fun individuals on a daily basis • Customer first culture – challenging from a customer’s point of view & asking what would make it more effortless for the customer is now just part of the HomeServe way • Development opportunities – if you put in the effort & take ownership of your own development, you’ll get support back. Over the years HS has enabled me to learn a variety of technical & business related skills, including sponsoring a part-time degree course • Inspiring leaders – we have open & accessible leaders who consider Customers, People & the company’s performance. We’re actively encouraged to talk directly to the CMO about what’s happening in the company & share ideas for improving things. I really like that these aren’t formal or staged events. You can send a message through Yammer/e-mail, book in a 121 (there’s an open invite for anyone to do this) or even drop by to see if he’s time for a quick chat. I think it says a lot that both the CMO & CEO sit on an open plan floor right next to Marketing & CSR teams • Flexible working – you’re trusted to own your work & effectively deliver results. As long as you’re doing this, people are accommodating if you need flexibility to meet personal commitments. There may be role specific restrictions with this one • IT systems investment – considerable investment in recent years to improve our IT systems & get the tools we need to hit our 2020 objectives • Community impact – it’s great to see HS supporting local charities & community events e.g. sponsoring Walsall FC, school events, Marie Curie, Homeless charities etc • Other good stuff – company Sharesave plan, matched pension contributions, family friendly social events (kids xmas party etc), mentor scheme, book clubs (across departments & levels of seniority), lunch and learn, the Data Council, adoption entitlements aligned to the maternity policy & the location of the Walsall office (I live local).
Cons
I’ve worked here a long time & hopefully you can tell by the comments above why that’s the case. That being said, I believe you can always make things better and “Always Improve” is one of our People Promises. • There’s a fair few IT systems & data change projects happening at the same time. As an interim phase it can be challenging getting a view of how these interact, what’s being delivered when & what the combined impact will be. On the positive side it offers lots of opportunities to influence future functionality. • Although the maternity/adoption entitlements are above the statutory minimum, increasing the full pay period to 6+mths would make a big difference to some of our People. • If you don't live local to the Walsall office, the journey on or around the M6 Junction 10 can be a pain.
