High Speed Two Reviews

Pros

Good exposure and experience for learning, challenging environment

Cons

Pay rises and advancements are limited

Pros

Good great fantastic wonderful lovely

Cons

Bad mediocre okay average job

Pros

Flexible working, freedom to do your job to the best of your ability, supportive management, good maternity pay, the right equipment available for the role.

Cons

Slow pay progression, low pay promotions if you're already within the company. Benefits paid as a percentage of your annual salary - which artificially makes the salary look better, but if you buy any benefits from this then the salary isn't as good as it might look. We seem to have all the restrictions of civil service, but none of the benefits. Frequent restructures that have little impact on the way of working.

Pros

Good office environment, Flexible working, Pleasant colleagues (in general)

Cons

1. SLTs / Execs rarely make TIMELY decisions. Whilst DfT and stakeholders are being indecisive, this inevitably result in programme delay. 2. There is a HUGE problem of managing contractor performance. But there is no way of knowing how this problem is being managed at which level. 3. Bad news / MI for poor programme performances are actively supressed using various methods. DfT and HMT seems to be kept in the dark (or are they pretending?) 4. Most of initiatives / reporting / analysis is done as a knee-jerk response to please SLTs. Unreasonable timeframe is a bonus. 5. Too many 'added on' corporate / governance functions... - Are they adding any values to the programme?

Pros

- great opportunities - amazing if you have people supporting you and your development - great selection of courses to undertake

Cons

-pay isn’t great if you come in at a low/average salary then work your way up as you always get paid the bottom of the band depending on if you’ve not met the threshold for the band -not much senior leadership team presence - can just be another number

Pros

good pay hotel provided professional

Cons

made to share rooms with others treated differently as POC

Pros

Looks good on your CV - because in reality no one on the outside knows how dysfunctional it is. Strong staff networks - although this is not compensated by time, money or simple acknowledgement - especially when the EDI time take the credit for their achievements.

Cons

Nepotism is rife, particularly in the leadership team, there is a false illusion of meritocracy when in fact all you have to have done is work on HS1 or in the Middle East. Good people leave due to lack of career development, people that consistency over perform are stifled and actively stopped by HR in progressing. We treat our apprentices and graduates appallingly and then roll them out in front of the cameras when we want to. Leadership teams lack diversity, inspiration, and quite frankly, morals. Racist and sexist behaviour is treated with a “slap on the wrist”. Diversity & inclusion is merely a marketing tool, some people at the top genuinely want to support, but they are few and far between. A decision is never made, and the truth can never be told to DfT - and then we are surprised as to why we are delayed and over budget. Leadership is so “mission focused” they forget it is real human being doing the job. Nothing will change until most of the current leadership retire.

Pros

Great and inclusive colleagues. Flexible working hours and support.

Cons

Low salary, little to no salary review for lower grade staff. High salaries than the British PM and members of parliament for senior staff

Pros

Largest infrastructure project in the uk

Cons

Salary negotiations are non existent

Pros

Data collection, validation and generating report.

Cons

Mentorship, leadership, training, hybrid, communication.