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Marks & Spencer Reviews
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    Marks & Spencer Reviews

    Updated 16 August 2017
    1,171 reviews

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    Full-timePart-time
    3.4
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    Marks & Spencer Chief Executive Steve Rowe
    Steve Rowe
    229 Ratings

    1,171 Employee Reviews

    Sort: PopularRatingDate
    Pros

    • Excellent staff discount available immediately (in 187 reviews)

    • Good pay for customer sales assistant (in 88 reviews)

    Cons

    • The company no longer pay much loved "double time" pay increase for working on a Sunday - unfortunately this has demoralised many members of staff (in 31 reviews)

    • Unless you have a good line manager who informs about workshops available on the M&S website which is hard to find on your own (in 66 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons
    1. Featured Review

      Helpful (3)

      "Love M&S"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in York, England
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in York, England
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Great company to work for-look after their employees well and a nice fun atmosphere. Bonus's and pay has just been increased and feel like new CEO is really looking after the staff

      Cons

      Parking is a problem for staff as it's not free so works on a lottery basis.

      Advice to Management

      Keep listening to the sales floor staff

    2. "Best job of my life!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer part-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Lovely high end environment, feels luxurious and well cared for. Voted in the Top 25 of UK Employers for Women, easy to see why. A very inclusive, disability friendly, family friendly, work life balance orientated employer with amazing staff benefits including 20% staff discount and the ability to double that discount using special offers and Sparks card offers.

      Cons

      I can't actually think of any at all, this is a very positive supportive working environment and I look forward to work everyday.

      Advice to Management

      Keep up the great work with the vision, plan and objectives and continue to remember that happy employees mean happy customers. The best employers realise that their employees are also their customers, which is so important and M&S realise this.

    3. "Nice atmosphere"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Sales Assistant in Saint Albans, England
      Former Employee - Sales Assistant in Saint Albans, England
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook

      I worked at Marks & Spencer part-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Large and friendly teams, flexibility, varied days.

      Definitely a great store to work in for Christmas!

      Cons

      Reluctance to place staff on permanent contracts - lack of security. Not much progression - in-store and head office are completely separate.

      Advice to Management

      Keep up the positive work culture.

      4. Is this helpful? The community relies on everyone sharing – Add Anonymous Review

    4. "Great company!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer full-time

      Pros

      Good progression oppotunities. Strong business values

      Cons

      Office and stores teams don't work well enough together. Business agenda is the same for both, so shame this isn't always recognised

    5. "Commercial Manager"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Commercial Manager in Grays, England
      Current Employee - Commercial Manager in Grays, England
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Career progression, good perks, pension scheme

      Cons

      work life balance challenging at times

      Advice to Management

      Training/workshops and on the job coaching provided. Take the time to learn, Manage your own career path!

    6. "Decent pay for the role"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer full-time

      Pros

      Working every other weekend. The business favours external experience over growing talent from within.

      Cons

      The business favours external experience over growing talent from within. A negative if you work hard and wish to progress

      Advice to Management

      Identify and grow hard work. Too much dependency on not managing underperformers and neglecting talent that then leaves.

    7. "very good employer"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Foods Section Manager in Basildon, East of England, England
      Current Employee - Foods Section Manager in Basildon, East of England, England
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      good customer service focus
      clear communication from above
      very good staff engagements

      Cons

      complicated process
      inconsistent approach to changes of processes

      Advice to Management

      adapt simple ways of working
      get more involved in RAR
      more support on the shopfloor to improve available to help /csat

    8. "Part time"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Marks & Spencer part-time

      Pros

      amazing opportunities
      great introduction to the working world

      Cons

      long hours sometimes
      difficult when also studying

      Advice to Management

      keep it up

    9. Helpful (1)

      "Customer Assistant M&S"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Customer Assistant in Epsom, England
      Former Employee - Customer Assistant in Epsom, England
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at Marks & Spencer part-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Friendly team in food department and menswear, both of which I worked in part time for 3 years, leniant with working hours and a nice chill staff chill room

      Cons

      Constant renewal of management team meant different styles of management which obviously brings different levels of enjoyment for those just working part time, we had 3 managers for food in the space of 6 months, better to maintain some level of consistency.

      Advice to Management

      Look at less turnover rate for managers, and would revaulate policies on food waste as there was an extortionate amount of waste that could have been put to better use, such as for the homeless.

    10. "Good Company To Work For"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Customer Assistant Foods
      Current Employee - Customer Assistant Foods
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Marks & Spencer part-time

      Pros

      - Started on a 5 week temporary contract, was extended a month then made permanent.
      - Amazing pay for a 17 year old (£8.50/hr)
      - Loads of overtime
      - Mostly friendly customers
      - Often trained on new things
      - 20% discount
      - Great rewards for good service and comments (£60 in gift cards)

      Cons

      - Overtime availability can fluctuate
      - Long shifts with short breaks
      - Lack of work/life balance
      - Some managers are often continuously over your shoulder when its not necessary
      - Roles of managers unclear, some managers are clueless on some things and often shaft you off to other ones.

      Advice to Management

      Leave staff to get on with their job - you do not need to be parading around continuously around us.

    Showing 1,171 of 1,265 reviews
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