It's a place where you're likely to feel undervalued, demoralised, and ultimately deeply unhappy. - Recruitment Consultant Datasource Recruitment Employee Review

Challenging and good for developing your career

The worst professional environment I have ever worked in. I used to read reviews from years ago and be horrified that the experiences described were identical to the one I had, even after the company and the working environment had supposedly improved a lot from then! You will be belittled, humiliated, and manipulated and expected to take it all on the chin like it is normal management behaviour and not extremely toxic. You will be shouted at in front of the whole office for even the smallest mistake, and you will be constantly scrutinised and every move will be watched - down to monitoring how often you go to the toilet and how often you show up “late” at 8.25am (despite contracted start time being 8.30) - granted these two things themselves are micromanaging but not necessarily harmful on their own… What IS harmful is the huge shame culture. Everyone is pitted against each other and management will talk badly about employees TO other employees. You will be lifted up one day and told you have “it”, and the next day you will be made to feel like a complete failure. The office conversation is also often hugely unprofessional - inappropriate comments will be made to you about your personal life or about others. On multiple occasions, screenshots of female recruiters from other companies on LinkedIn were posted into Teams chats which everyone except the directors were in, and she would be body-shamed and slut-shamed for how she is dressed. You would expect someone to shut it down but you will be surprised as every single person in the office not only agrees, but takes part. If you value your mental health, do not work here. It is gradual: at first you are confident and feel like you are on a great path. The people are a little harsh sometimes but it is for your own growth, right? But then you make a mistake and you are publicly called out and humiliated for it. Everyone in the office will watch as you are shouted at and “made an example of”. And then it will happen again, and again, and again. Sundays become unbearable. Every morning you will contemplate carrying on straight past the door and not going in. You will start to lose yourself and spend all your time at your desk trying to say as little as possible, to work as quietly as you can and try not to give them anything to shout at you about - which means when you do make a mistake, you no longer feel like you can own up to it or ask for help, therefore making the problem worse and creating a culture of distrust and anxiety. Your mental health will rapidly decline and so will your physical health. No job is worth it, and it is NOT normal pressure to feel, no matter what they will try and tell you.

You get to experience and exciting industry.

If you value your self-worth and mental health, I strongly advise against joining Datasource. I joined the company eager to explore a new industry but my enthusiasm was quickly shattered. Within a short time, I barely recognised myself—my confidence and positive outlook had taken a significant hit. Here’s why: - You're constantly reminded that if you're not performing, recruitment isn't for you and you are ‘free loading’ - If you’re not giving ‘110%’ at all times, expect to be reprimanded. - Building relationships with colleagues is actively discouraged. - You're advised not to do too much on weekends so you’re "ready" for Monday. - Make a mistake? Be prepared to be called out in front of the entire office. The company heavily leans on their IIP Accreditation and has mentioned in responses to recent reviews that they’ve taken steps to increase mental health support. However, based on the recent treatment of staff, I find it hard to believe that upper management has genuinely changed their stance on mental health.