Merlin Entertainments Career Development FAQ

Pros

Good product/ service, customer centric. Work life balanced good compensation.

Cons

Overall senior management wasn't ideal and lack of career development opportunity.

Pros

Great company, amazing opportunities to grow and develop

Cons

Individuals undermine the organisation values

Advice to Management

Great company to work for, but newer leadership is compromising organisation values for quick wins. Lots of layoffs in specialist Sealife welfare teams which is very short sighted. However this may be necssary in the current covid situation. Pay & benefits generally naff

Pros

Working with wonderful people in an exciting environment! Putting their staff first when it mattered

Cons

Salary wasn't great consideration most performers had professional training although I believe they've taken on the feedback and this has now increased.

Pros

Merlin's values, internal systems and practices are great. Benefits include free attraction tickets, 40% discount from online LEGO Store, perks at work membership.

Cons

Very poor pay below competitors in the same field, limited development and promotion opportunities unless you're within certain circles. Whilst the Merlin values are great, the implementation of them, by the poor, barely qualified management is terrible, and that's indicative of the kind of reviews you'll usually see on the attractions' social media sites ie. LEGOLAND, Chessington. If you think about leaving when there's bonuses to be paid, don't hand in your resignation until that money's in your bank.

Advice to Management

Have a look at the goings-on within LEGOLAND Windsor's Hotels, I thought I was leaving on good terms but quickly found myself ostracized like some traitor, given no guidance or told what was needed to help me transition and allow others to continue what I had been doing. I was also there during a bonus year, and whilst I expected the cut-off to be the next month, meaning I missed out, I've since been disgusted to learn that another employee who resigned in February, has also been done out of around £2500. Hardly a good way to treat long-serving staff.

Pros

Very fun place to work where you make friends for life. Engaging day to day structure where you can challenge yourself and learn lots of transferable skills within one industry. For example, I gained recruitment, L&D, marketing insight, guest facing, staff management and many more skills just from the one role in one of the parks smaller departments. Home grown style of progression, with lots of internal training and chances to develop

Cons

Occasionally demanding on hours, but predictable demand that comes with time of year (for example, I knew Halloween was going to be our busiest time of year with long hours). Pay is fine on hourly, however lower tier perm positions often lack the salary that comes with additional work load. Turn style method of staffing means lots of fresh faces moving in and out of the business, this can create a lot of competition when it comes to progression. Limited progression within my chosen department, must have a keen interest in other key areas of the park like rides or retail if you decide you wish to create a career. For a lot of people it is not sustainable enough to be a forever job, but I think with the nature of the business that is ok and I enjoyed my time there but an eventual expiry date was clear.