The National Trust Reviews

Pros

amazing support from site managers and wider national trust NT card for you and a guest great working environments get to contribute to a worth cause work feels worthwhile

Cons

average wage something locations are difficult to get to

Advice to Management

keep doing what you are doing!

Pros

It's the National Trust - it's a unique place to work

Cons

It's a generally a case of not what you know, but who if you want to get anything done.

Advice to Management

Review your staff turnover. You are losing good, skilled people with a genuine desire to make a difference because of the non-exec directors you have in charge of departments - most of them are not qualified to be in that position so when you recruit qualified candidates, you lose them out of sheer frustration to the sheer incompetence above.

Pros

Nice enough place to work if you don't mind being severely underpaid. Most colleagues were pretty great. 20% off in shops and restaurants and quite generous holiday (but not enough staff to actually take it) Living wage so a bonus if you're under 25 I guess.

Cons

National trust rationalises underpaying staff using it's "charity" status but the whole operation is ran like a money-grabbing corporation. Puts far too much on the volunteers and lower level staff. You're expected to go continuously above and beyond your pay grade but god forbid you actually ask for acknowledgement in pay or job title. Development is nonexistent. Removed all "assistant managers" so they could pay...

Advice to Management

If you're going to rely on underpaid ground workers then give them some credit. Hire on ability, not your friends. Don't fire pregnant employees and pass it off as 'restructuring' (we actually ended up being massively understaffed because they couldn't get away with replacing her too quickly).

Pros

Historical building, nature, wildlife, friendly staff, friendly volunteers, long history

Cons

Money is tight, but understandably so.

Pros

Beautiful sites, worthwhile cause, opportunity to make a positive impact in special places, great colleagues

Cons

Poor salary, limited opportunities to advance, management generally poorly trained, high levels of bureaucracy, more concerned with numbers than results

Advice to Management

Start training your managers properly, focus on achieving conservation goals not financial ones

Pros

Beautiful properties with passionate and knowledgeable property staff. A great cause.

Cons

At times seemed very political and focussed on individuals instead of the organisation.

Advice to Management

I would have enjoyed my work more if it had been easier to make a difference and if ideas for improvement and initiatives had been more welcomed and recognised.

Pros

The NT really cares about its job in looking after the many places it’s responsible for Work life balance is good Females in leadership positions There are many staff members who genuinely care and it is because of these people that so much good is done

Cons

Salary Bureaucracy - meetings about meetings, having conferences because we’ve said we’re going to not because there is any real need or major benefit

Advice to Management

There are two many levels within the company structure which creates roles who function is redundant. You could save money by having less intermediary managers whose actual contribution is minimal

Pros

You get to work with the public, who are generally on holiday or days out, which means they’re (on the whole) friendly and interested in learning more. You also know that you’re contributing to preserving history, the environment and often both! Good pay, holiday pay and benefits such as the staff and partner cards.

Cons

Some of the systems are dated and inefficient.

Advice to Management

Take advice from the staff who work on the ground.