The morale is at it worse I have seen since leaving the company recently and I do not think it will get any better. Everyone is feeling uncertain and uncomfortable at the moment. Everyone is struggling and not happy. I’m glad I’m out of it, best thing I ever did.
The sickness policy is very confusing and people are scared to take time off in fear of losing there jobs.
In training there is hardly any mention of the targets, it’s washed over like stats don’t matter and left to find out for yourself it does matter. To me the charity doesn’t feel like a charity because step change do not care or look after there staff. They want bums on seats but need to think about to keep the genuine staff who do care about clients to stay!! But they aren’t bothered they will just run another training academy but they will also end up dropping like flies too. The training was fun and enjoyable but the hard reality hits a few months in and then boom!!
I have noticed on my old floor TLs and coaches regularly discuss feedback of staff infront of other staff which I find really upsetting for the colleague getting the negative feedback in that manner, so unprofessional.
The whole ethos of how step change needs to change completely, it needs to go back to being an actual charity and not to be run like a bank or business!!! The high management getting paid a lot of money to run this so called charity but are losing sight of why step change was set up in the first place.
I have noticed since my time here how the company delivers feedback slowly just eats away at you, even people with thick skin in this place with struggle after abit. I feel like our option does not matter or count!!! They never side with the advisors and always side with the clients. Even if your quality is good and you go above and beyond a client which I did they will still find something wrong. I am all for constructive feedback however how some TLs do this isn’t in the correct manner and I have witnessed TLs making digs at other staff members around me about their performance. One person I have witnessed before I left was crumbling before my eyes, it’s like step change was taking their every last bit of dignity left. Awful to see.
No pay rise for past 3 years now either.
The new system pulse which we spend gods knows what on keeps crashing or having faults when it’s meant to be this wonderful revolutionary system!! It was delayed some many times we all lost count.
I don’t think management or TLs really grasp the impact of talking to very vulnerable people on their advisors well being or mental health. Its a very tough job mentally and you do need to be able forgot about it when you leave work but with the pressure of stats and constantly wanting more from us - this is something that can be very difficult.
To finish off, my advice to anyone looking to work here don’t do it, not even if it’s a stop gap. It’s not an easy job and the morale in the place will drag you down to hell. I’m not saying it’s rewarding helping people it is but if the company was run like a proper charity then things may be different but that is never going to happen now we have a banking CEO!!!
