High pressure environment with unrealistic targets and declining pay
Pros
If you are looking for a high-pressure environment, there is no shortage of urgency, workload, or constant firefighting. You will quickly build resilience, learn to manage the impact of unrealistic sales commitments, and become skilled at working towards challenging KPIs with limited control over the outcome. The role also provides the opportunity to take on increasing responsibility without a corresponding increase in pay.
Cons
Workloads are consistently high and expectations are often unrealistic, with little meaningful structural change despite clear signs of team strain. Sales commitments frequently exceed operational capacity, leaving onboarding to manage the impact with limited resource or support. New initiatives and partnerships are introduced without adequate planning, resulting in ongoing pressure and reactive working. Under Gareth’s leadership, the focus often feels more on short-term output than addressing underlying operational issues. There is a strong emphasis on quick wins and immediate results, which appears to prioritise management targets and commission over the long-term sustainability and wellbeing of the team. KPIs have become increasingly difficult to achieve, making it very challenging to earn commission. As workload and complexity have increased, overall earnings have effectively declined. This role used to offer a better balance. The hours (1pm–10pm) are not social, but the salary previously reflected that. There have been no meaningful salary increases for years, and in some cases people are now earning less than before due to changes in targets and commission. Recognition and incentives remain heavily weighted toward sales, while operational teams carry significant delivery responsibility.
