AutoProtect

1.0

24 Aug 2024

Team member

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

- Good salary. - Free onsite parking. - Friendly people.

Cons

I was part of the Operational Excellence team who were responsible for the optimisation of operational performance. During the interview process, I was told that APG were about to go through a period of transformation across all areas of the business and the team were excited by the opportunity to learn, problem solve and create positive change. However, within a few weeks, after attending a few project meetings and being assigned superfluous tasks, we realised that there was no real need for an Operational Excellence team, as most of the work had already been completed by business analysts, SMEs and project/product managers. Disappointingly, the entire function was being mocked by some of the company, deemed unnecessary, with no-one (including HR) knowing what the purpose of Operational Excellence was. It was extremely disappointing given that I had left a financially stable company and secure role, to what I can only describe now as a sinking ship of a company (I advise you to read the reviews on google too). I reported into the Head of Operational Excellence, someone who lacked leadership, communication, time management and general people skills. Most tasks were assigned at the last minute with unclear briefs and unrealistic deadlines - continuously confusing the team and putting them under pressure. I was penalised for asking questions and suggesting ideas, despite the job advert looking for an inquisitive and analytical person. She always said she had time for the team, but she was rarely available or seen in the office, my first 1-2-1 was six weeks into the role. When I voiced mine and the teams’ concerns to her, I was met with “why didn’t you tell me sooner?” …again just highlighting the lack of leadership, communication and accountability you would expect from someone in a leadership role. It’s interesting to see that the role has now been advertised as a "process engineer" and also that other members of this team have moved on to better things. The reason I wrote this review is because I don’t want anyone to be fooled by this role, company, or the Head of OpEx, and to go through the same terrible experience as I did.

AutoProtect Response

Many thanks for the feedback provided, it is always an opportunity to learn and I appreciate the time you took to outline the feedback. I do, of course take a differing view of the company that I joined this year and as Head of People I feel well placed to take on board the feedback and support the further development of the Company. It is a company that is developing and making an impact which is an exciting place to work with the change based on data and the amazing skills and ability of our people. The transformation so far has been amazing and the company has developed a more collaborative approach. I am sorry that you felt that the Operational Excellence team was not needed. That’s an interesting view, as we see the team as a key differentiation to other companies in our space. The information gained is imperative in helping us to improve the way we work and ultimately the remarkable journey we are now providing for our people and customer. We are very much a data driven company that has its customers and people as its priority. We obviously look to bring in the right talent and your background sounds ideal. We have good reviews from our customer Trustpilot scores (4.6/5 at writing this). From our people we have a Glassdoor core of 3.8 and Indeed 3.3 which we are working to improve and using the information provided as well as feedback from our people through the regular interaction we have. I am surprised to read your views on your management interaction as we have a high frequency of feedback opportunities with regular one to ones. This of course creates a high volume of information and we take the time to review this. Sorry to read that these regular feedback sessions did not work for you. I agree that being introduced to our values, people and products should occur when you start and our hiring Managers cover this at the point of starting. Like many companies we have a structured approach and the methodology we used is not for everyone. We do find that it works for us and leads to tangible improvements for our customers and people. Our focus on people is a key part of our way forward and we do have a programme of benefits that are reviewed annually. Tanks for your feedback on these. We do focus on the development of our people and we have been able to increase the internal career development for our people year on year. Lastly, thanks again for the detail you provide. It’s a shame that our working approach did not work for you and I hope that your next role provides you will all that you are looking for.

Terrible, disappointing and sinking ship of a company - Team Member AutoProtect Employee Review

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