Places for People Reviews
80% would recommend to a friend
(571 total reviews)
Greg Reed
95% approve of CEO
Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
- "Managers and leaders need to recognise the impact of sending messages outside of working hours and provide employees with the space and time they need to recharge." (in 15 reviews)
Found 571 of over 611 reviews
Updated 29 Nov 2023
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- 5.0FEATURED REVIEW10 Oct 2023DirectorCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearPreston, North West England, England
Pros
It is good to be part of a company that is solely focused on Communities and making them thrive. I love not having shareholders to pay so everything can go back into society. PfP is the UK’s leading Social Enterprise and generated £270m in social value last year. I haven’t seen a bigger number. Doing what I love in a great team is so much better than buying some shareholder a helicopter or private island. Making a difference.
Cons
Technology is old but being improved. Data is not there yet. Some salaries are not competitive. Change is slow. PfP is vast and sometimes it isn’t clear how it all fits together.
Places for People Response2moHello, Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, we really appreciate it. It's great to hear that you are on board with our Because Community Matters approach and our commitment to Making A Difference. Our People are who truly help us make that difference. We are on a journey together and don't worry we won't be stopping now, it's just the beginning - onward! Thanks - Places for People.
- 5.029 Nov 2023Department HeadCurrent Employee, more than 3 yearsLondon, England
Pros
This is an organisation that take people development very seriously and understands that if you invest in its people they will invest in the company. I have never been in a company that allows you to be who you are, has a clear vision for the future, and develops their people's career.
Cons
Some work to do on the external reputation and identity of Places for People.
Places for People Response5dThank you for sharing your experience with us. We're thrilled to hear your positive feedback on our commitment to people development and fostering an environment where individuals can be themselves. We appreciate your note on our external reputation, and we're actively working on it. Thanks for being part of our team! Places for People
- 5.024 Nov 2023Managing DirectorCurrent Employee, more than 3 yearsLondon, England
Pros
Brilliant culture - you can be yourself, everyones voice matters and there is a desire from the Exec to do the best thing for our people, customers and new communities. The business hugely invests in it's people, with numerous training and leadership programmes to suit whatever level you may be at. The company genuinely wants to hear what staff think, and regularly run surveys with real action plans as a result, to drive change and improvement as far as possible. After having worked in house building for a decade, it is so refreshing to come to a place where you feel valued as an individual. where there is a real culture of doing the right thing.
Cons
Very hard to find any! It is a large business so sometimes it can be challenging trying to find who you need to speak to, but when you find the right person, they are always helpful and friendly. I think the business has an awareness of where it needs to make changes, and is making significant changes to the systems it uses to make everyones lives that little bit easier.
Places for People Response7dThank you for sharing your positive perspective! We're delighted that you feel valued and appreciate the focus on doing the right thing. Your feedback on the business's investment in people and the commitment to driving change based on staff input is truly encouraging. We understand the challenges in a large business and are actively working on improvements. Thanks for being a vital part of our team. Places for People
- 3.017 Oct 2023Money AdvisorFormer Employee, more than 1 year
Pros
- offer remote working - depending on your team, can work with some amazing colleagues and flexibility - they actively recommend training courses, to use budgets and progress team knowledge
Cons
- understaffed - no clear direction for the future - learn to say no, when you are at capacity and cannot help everyone before yourself
4Places for People Response2moHello, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and for the positive comments about development and progression - this has been a big area of focus for us as we want to see our People thrive. We know that change can be hard, but we do believe we are going in the right direction – and that direction is something that we have shared with our People on many occasions, from our Drop the Mic roadshows to our internal team meetings and events, we are very open and upfront about our ambitions and our purpose of creating and maintaining thriving Communities – so it does surprise us to hear your thoughts on this. If you are referring to our Big Colleague Survey, then we do ask our People to anonymously give us their honest feedback and thoughts on this so we can understand what is working well and what might need improving. This then forms our Group Action Plan – something that we are very vocal about and invite everyone to get involved in. We are growing our teams and our investment in supporting Customers year on year to help achieve our ambition of creating and maintaining thriving Communities. This includes our comprehensive offer for all Customers to help them through these challenging times, through initiatives such as cost of living vouchers, energy advocacy, warm packs, employment, and training support. We understand that you have now left the business, however, we would still like to address these concerns. Therefore, we would ask that you contact us at glassdoor@placesforpeople.co.uk where we will fully respect your anonymity and will look into this further. However, if we don’t hear from you, we wish you well in the future. Thank you – Places for People
- 5.023 Nov 2023DirectorCurrent Employee, more than 8 yearsCamberley, England
Pros
*Huge strides are being made at looking after its people and customers. * Communication is getting better and leaders are open, honest and accessible. *Leaders always try to do the right thing, they may not always get it right, but the intention is there. *Hierarchy and self-importance are being checked, everyone has a voice. *Pay, terms and conditions and benefits are being levelled up across the Group. *Investment and training for colleagues is excellent.
Cons
*Some pay rates still need attention to keep and attract good people. *Hours can be long, but's that's arguably being disciplined yourself. *Some departments are under resourced.
Places for People Response5dHi there, Thank you for sharing your insights. We're pleased to hear about your feedback on the positive strides we are making in looking after our People and Customers, improved communication, and the commitment to doing the right thing. Your feedback on pay rates, long hours, and under-resourced departments is noted. We're dedicated to continuous improvement and appreciate your contribution to our ongoing success at Places for People! Thanks - Places for People
- 3.029 Oct 2023AdministratorCurrent Employee, more than 10 yearsPreston, North West England, England
Pros
Great HR policies, hybrid working options
Cons
No cohesion between teams leading to frustration, delays and complaints which adds to work stress. No interest in progressing employees within the business unless from degree cohort or existing management.
5Places for People Response2moHi there, Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that you value our HR policies, hybrid working options and have a positive view of our CEO. We take all feedback seriously, including areas where we can improve. We are committed to addressing these issues to create and maintain a positive work environment for our People. We are sorry to hear your comments about progression. This is something we are passionate about and have implemented many training and development opportunities for all our People across our organisation. This includes opportunities for personal and professional growth, as well as pathways for career advancements. We have many individuals who have progressed through the company, starting out in junior positions to now be General Managers, Contract Managers, or Head of Departments. We are committed to providing opportunities to all colleagues and always strive to improve this offering for our People. We understand that it can get busy at times, however, we don’t want our People to feel overloaded – we want them to feel valued, listened to, and have the right tools and practices in place to carry out their roles effectively. We would like to look into your concerns further and help make this right for you. We would initially encourage you to speak to your line manager or team's People Partner with the feedback which will be treated with confidentially, however, if you do not feel comfortable in doing so, please email us (again confidentially) at glassdoor@placesforpeople.co.uk and we will support you from there. Thanks - Places for People.
- 5.026 Sept 2023Senior Content ManagerFormer Employee, more than 1 yearPreston, North West England, England
Pros
I learnt so much during my time with this company and was really able to scope out my role and make it my own and create a brilliant Content team. Absolutely fantastic bunch of People in Group Communications. The people really do make it. I’ve got to call out the Head of Brand & Digital too for being my biggest champion who still is even since I’ve left. Supporting People really does go a long way. (I’ve only left to enable me to pursue other career ambitions). I was able to get involved in so much. I led the Parents & Carers Community as part of the Inclusion & Belonging network. ED&I is really close to my heart and so that gave me such a sense of purpose and belonging and I really valued making such positive change! Work from home / remote working is brilliant.
Cons
It’s a massive organisation! Which is good in that the business can achieve a lot but there’s a lot of info and areas to be involved in so this wouldn’t suit someone looking for a slower pace in projects.
4Places for People Response2moHello, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and honest review - we really appreciate it. We love your view on Places for People and it's great to hear you enjoyed your time with us. Thank you for being a key part of the Group Communications team and a key driver for the Parents & Carers Community, your work will have positively impacted many across the group. We wish you all the best in your future! Thanks again - Places for People.
- 1.025 Sept 2023Group CommunicationsCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearPreston, North West England, England
Pros
Nice colleagues Work remotely Some valuable benefits
Cons
The Group Communications team has been led into an absolute mess in the last 12 months or so. The various teams are so worked into the ground and work keeps getting piled on with no planning or leadership to manage capacity. A few people have left in recent months and I can see there’s been another recent review from someone who shares a similar sentiment to me so I know I’m not alone in how I feel. I’m seriously considering leaving now myself, as are others. It feels to me that the Heads Of and Chief Impact Officer are more concerned about being seen to say the right thing (ie. “Yes whatever you want”) to the exec team and directors rather than do the right thing by their team and actually set them up for success. I’ve repeatedly raised my workload and stress with my manager and it just gets dismissed. I don’t like leaving such a negative review but it makes me so sad that this is how the team is expected to work these days. This always on, never stop, pressured culture is going to cause burn out amongst many.
15Places for People Response3moHi, John here. Thanks for your review. Really sorry you feel this way, and really sorry you’ve chosen to make it so personal. I don’t want to get into the detail of your review here, but I’m pleased in your advice to management that you’d like me/us to take some time to let the team tell us what’s going on. That would be great – I’d love to have a really honest conversation with you to understand the detail behind your concerns. Same to the other people you say are thinking about leaving – my door always is, and always has been, open. We say in our People Promises that we should be respectful and earn respect. It would be really respectful to have an honest conversation with me, because without that conversation, I don’t know what I can do for you. Please message me and we can go from there. Thank you.
- 5.023 Nov 2023Operations DirectorCurrent Employee, more than 8 yearsEdinburgh, Scotland
Pros
The change in leadership over the past couple of years has made such a difference. Everyone is working for each other and making improvements for our teams and our customers. You really feel you can make a difference here.
Cons
Only downside I can think of is we still have some older software systems that can be frustrating, but the team are working hard on that and change is coming. Really positive.
Places for People Response7dHi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that the recent changes in leadership have had such a positive impact on the collaborative spirit within our teams. It's great that you feel empowered to make a difference here. We understand the frustration with older software systems, and we appreciate your patience as we work towards improvements. Your advice to management to continue supporting and encouraging change is well-received. Thanks again for being a valuable part of our journey! Places for People
- 5.023 Nov 2023Senior LeaderCurrent Employee, more than 10 years
Pros
At Places for People you get to be part of making a difference to Customers and society. What’s not to love?! There are opportunities to learn and develop so you can build a career here and the People are fantastic. So proud to work for this amazing social enterprise.
Cons
It’s a big organisation with huge aspirations so there’s masses of change happening which can feel like a lot! Flip side is you won’t be bored!
Places for People Response2wHi there! We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. It's wonderful to hear about your passion for making a difference at Places for People. We appreciate your honesty about the challenges that come with the organisation's growth. We're committed to continuous improvement, and your dedication to aiming high and pushing us to be better is truly valued. If you have any specific suggestions or ideas, feel free to share at glassdoor@placesforpeople.co.uk Thanks again for being a valuable part of our journey! Places for People
Places for People Reviews FAQs
Places for People has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 611 reviews left anonymously by employees. 80% of employees would recommend working at Places for People to a friend and 80% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has improved by 3% over the last 12 months.
80% of Places for People employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated Places for People 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.
