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Marks & Spencer Employee Reviews about "management"
Updated 5 Dec 2023
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Found 8,242 of over 9K reviews
68% Recommend to a Friend
76% Approve of CEO
Found 1,864 of over 9K reviews
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Stuart Machin
681 Ratings
Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
Pros
- "The pay is good and the company treats you well which is one of the best things about working with M&S." (in 863 reviews)
- "Most colleagues are friendly and personable; more of a 'we're all in this mess together' kind of friendship." (in 403 reviews)
Cons
- "Poor management at time because too many managers on departments that they are not fit to run and just 'wig it'." (in 588 reviews)
- "We were not allowed an extra short break to warm up even working with no heating." (in 108 reviews)
Reviews about "management"
Return to all Reviews- 3.024 Aug 2013Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee
Pros
+ If you're passionate about retail then there is plenty of opportunity for career development. + Competitive hourly rate for customer assistants. + Management focus on getting the best out of you and are constantly focusing on a development plan for you.
Cons
- Remuneration for the extra workload as a Section Coordinator is insufficient when compared to other jobs containing similar responsibilities.
- 5.026 Jan 2023Sales AssociateFormer Employee, less than 1 year
Pros
nice senior staff, they aren't reluctant to help when i needed assistance. took great care of me. met some really nice friends there too.
Cons
really no life after i started working. my shift was in the from afternoon till evening so no time in the morning and no night life also. management can improve but they are still really nice and that's important to me.
Marks & Spencer Response11moHi there, thanks for your review! We're sorry to hear your concerns, we hope all our colleagues can enjoy a positive work-life balance. We advise our Colleagues to link in with their Line Manager if they have any concerns about their hours and shifts, to find a solution together. Marks and Spencer
- 5.014 Dec 2015Anonymous EmployeeFormer Employee
Pros
Wide variety of roles and responsibilities including recruitment and induction, payroll compliance and in-store culture. Working with all levels of management providing advice and support and the involvement in projects to further improve employee life-cycle activities.
Cons
The lack of support to the sales teams to deal with the footfall instores was frustrating, this then impacted the service levels to the customer and the whole store experience.
1 - 4.015 Jan 2019OperationsFormer Contractor, less than 1 yearHorwich, England
Pros
- The staff are generally pleasant and work together as a team
Cons
- Management can be patronising and even the lower level managers take themselves a bit too seriously
- 1.012 Jun 2023Customer AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 5 yearsNorwich, England
Pros
None that I can think of
Cons
Management is very toxic and you are expected to work all day everyday with no consistent days off
Marks & Spencer Response6moHi there, we’re very sorry to hear that you haven’t had a positive experience while working for us. In these instances, we would always recommend that colleagues link in with another Manager or their local Big Rep so that they can get the support they need in resolving any issues/hardships they face. Marks and Spencer
- 3.016 Aug 2023Cafe BaristaFormer Employee, less than 1 yearTamworth, England
Pros
Good pay free drinks sometimes
Cons
long hours and expected over time management put a lot of pressure a lot of toxicity between co workers
Marks & Spencer Response4moHi there, thank you very much for leaving a review. We’re glad you mentioned that you were happy with the pay, especially as we keep an eye on the market and make sure we’re rewarding our Colleagues fairly. We're sorry to hear your concerns, we’re always looking for ways to improve so appreciate your feedback. Marks and Spencer
- 3.025 Jul 2022Customer AssistantFormer Employee, more than 5 yearsNewport, Newport, Wales
Pros
- Development if you want it - Flexibility with shifts - Some lovely kind managers - Lots of different tasks to do which keep days interesting
Cons
This company can be very toxic. Some of the things that went on behind closed doors would destroy them if they got out. - Constant management changes who all have a different ideology on how the store should be run - Every manager has their favourites - Too much top down management from head office; trust stores and teams to make their own decisions sometimes - Environment can be toxic; lack of support for new staff from longer serving members of staff & lots of gossiping and talking behind backs - Much more expected of staff towards the end - Staff often not listened to
Marks & Spencer Response2yHi there, thank you for taking the time to leave your review! We're sorry to hear that you weren't fully supported by Management. In these instances, we would always recommend that colleagues link in with another Manager or their local Big Rep so that they can get the support they need in resolving any issues/hardships they face. We work hard to provide a fantastic experience to everyone therefore, it's discouraging to see that you’ve had a negative experience. We’re always looking for ways to improve, so appreciate your feedback. Marks and Spencer
- 4.012 Aug 2021TraderFormer Employee, more than 3 yearsGurgaon, Haryana
Pros
Work life balance was decent, had some great managers, learnt a lot as first job
Cons
Growth is dependent on upper management and there is office politics that will pull you down
Marks & Spencer Response3yHi there, thanks for leaving us a review! We hope all our Colleagues can enjoy some positive work-life balance. We work really hard to help everyone broaden their skills and achieve their career goals. We advise our colleagues to discuss their next steps with their Line Manager. Marks and Spencer
- 4.010 Apr 2018Anonymous EmployeeFormer Employee
Pros
Really great management structure and there a a lot of progression routes that can be taken
Cons
Gets incredibly busy during chirstmas
- 3.023 Jan 2023Team ManagerFormer Employee, less than 1 yearEdinburgh, Scotland
Pros
Good HR and welcome pack, good communication across departments (HO), Competitive pay (forks - range between x and y), relatively good vision to follow, although understanding of it of 'old management' (those who are 7, 10, 15y in the company) is questionable and very often biased based on my view
Cons
In some branches, you NEED to play their game and play dumber, if you do your job better, you are either used to your limits or excluded from the 'circle of older management' - i.e Edinburgh, Princess Street (Foods). A directive and unresponsive management style are preferred over an adaptive (based on my experience more effective). Overall, fear-driven culture, a fear of audits of any kind due to the lack of consistency in delivering their best on a daily basis
2Marks & Spencer Response11moHi there, thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for your honesty. We're disappointed to hear the concerns you’ve raised and would like to take this opportunity to apologise for how you felt during your time with us. This doesn’t sound like the way we do things at Marks and Spencer and completely goes against the values we've worked so hard to uphold, so we'll make sure your comments are fed back. Marks and Spencer
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