Katastrophal - Sales Assistant WHSmith Employee Review

Management and communication skills and training

Hours no set schedule last minute changes

Chance to develop prioritization, problem-solving, and “get it done” execution skills. Some team members are hardworking and collaborative, and have experience working with multiple departments and external partners. Note for Candidates Interviewing. Ask detailed questions about role scope, workload expectations, resourcing, and how priorities are set and changed. Pay attention to how communication and feedback are handled, red flags tend to surface early.

The company is going through changes, but day-to-day support and resourcing have not kept pace. Expectations are very high, while goals and priorities are often unclear or shift frequently. The role may require covering multiple functions, such as project management, people management, and vendor coordination, without the structure or support needed to succeed. Work-life balance is a significant challenge, the workload regularly extends beyond a normal workday, making it difficult to recover and sustain performance over time. There are frequent fire drills that could be reduced with clearer planning and realistic capacity management. When issues arise, feedback can sometimes be delivered publicly, discouraging open communication and making it harder for teams to raise risks early. Professional standards can be inconsistent, and unprofessional team behaviors may be normalized, which is not acceptable in a respectful workplace.