Accelerating towards failure - Prefer Not to State Watkin Jones Group Employee Review

1.0
25 Sept 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Difficult to say with hand on heart that there are a lot of "Pros". If pushed, I'd say that there are some good people there, but they're generally in roles that can't influence the way things are done. So, your buddy on site or your workmate in the office will probably be fine, you'll likely have some good people on your team if you're a manager. But if you reach in to that executive team, you'll find some cold, cold people. They are so far removed from reality that it's frightening.

Cons

Where to start??? No strategic direction. They might say they have a strategy, but it's no more than a snappy line on a page and a list of construction projects. There's nothing in place that resembles a strategy and frankly there hasn't been for years. Executive Team Members. There have been lots of comings and goings over the last few years. We've seen the core and most successful leaders elbowed out of the business (probably paid off handsomely too!). As well as those long-term directors that made the company a success, the CEO disappeared, the CPO vanished, the Company Secretary's done a runner, and the last CFO looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown, only to be replaced by a new one that has weilded the axe indiscriminately. The CEO isn't blameless here and one has to question his and the board's judgement not just in relation to everyday operational decisions, but also in relation to assessing character. Any big pay offs are coming back to haunt them now as the company scrabbles around in the dirt for pennies, trying to make ends meet. Failing, failing, Failing There's only so much blame you can put on Covid, the war in Ukraine, and interest rates. Yes, it's a challenging economic climate (as they're so fond of telling us) but they keep on ploughing on - directionless, into the darkness. It's like watching a blindfolded man wander around on Beachy Head. Just look at the share prices (25p at the time of writing - down from £2.50 just three years ago). There's not long left and the current activities feel like the kicks and coughs of that blindfolded man in his death-bed after falling from the cliff. Culture They talk a good talk and there are some genuinely good people doing their best to make it a nice place to work. The problem is that all that means nothing when it comes to the crunch. "Never mind your wellbeing, we're going to get rid of those important jobs and valuable people because we couldn't find another 50p down the back of the couch." To say that this company cares about people would be a stretch beyond even the most elastic of fat exec's waistbands. Diversity Just look at the Exec Team. It's all rich white males. They've managed to oust all the women and you'll struggle to find a female in a senior role other than maybe the ones that "should be women". You know the ones we mean - personnel, human resources, and accounts. Leave the important decisions to the men and don't let those girls worry their pretty little heads about it. The organisation says it's inclusive and welcomes diversity, but they don't understand (or care) about what that really means. What's a gender pay gap between friends anyway?

Explore other reviews about Watkin Jones Group

4.0
30 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great staff Good support Good development

Cons

Short period Travelling to multiple offices

4.0
15 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work hard and you'll enjoy the rewards. Work ethic and the dedication to achieve a common goal are noticed and valued by higher management.

Cons

Site's are often under staffed, meaning those on the ground are expected to do more to cover the gap.

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