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    The National Trust Reviews

    Updated 21 September 2018
    89 reviews

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    3.3
    StarStarStarStarStar
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    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    The National Trust Chairman Tim Parker
    Tim Parker
    19 Ratings

    89 Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Good pay (if you're a student) and friendly working environment" (in 9 reviews)

    • "You'll generally be lucky enough to work with a great team of people, who work hard but know how to have fun" (in 8 reviews)

    Cons

    • "No benefits for working bank holidays or Sundays" (in 4 reviews)

    • "At some properties upper management don't seem to care, long hours, and at some properties there is a lack of recognition" (in 3 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "A great customer facing and team job role"

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

      I worked at The National Trust part-time

      Pros

      No day is ever the same working within the catering team, and it's always lovely to be able to have a positive impact on customers visiting The National Trust

      Cons

      Sometimes work can be hectic! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      Advice to Management

      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      The National Trust Response

      11 Jun 2018 – Resourcing Specialist

      Thanks for your review, really glad to hear you had a great time working with our Food and Beverage team, best of luck in the future!

    2. "Great variety of places and opportunities"

      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 The National Trust full-time

      Pros

      Good progression, opportunities and working pursuing good values

      Cons

      the wage they offer is not balance to the cost of living of the area

      3. Join the The National Trust team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Each place is different"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Housekeeping Manager
      Current Employee - Housekeeping Manager
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at The National Trust full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Great development opportunities, work at the right property and they really care for your development, good benefits, working with positive people

      Cons

      At some properties upper management don't seem to care, long hours, and at some properties there is a lack of recognition

      Advice to Management

      No advice as I believe you'll find these problems at most work places

    4. "Run as if 1890s or 1980s but definitely not 2018"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Visitor Services Assistant
      Former Employee - Visitor Services Assistant
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at The National Trust full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Lovely locations and special places of interest, lots of friendly customers interaction, free membership

      Cons

      Managers rarely have the skills and experience to run effectively and efficiently in commercial world. Poor communication and co-ordination results in politics and lack of team building and co-operation. Organisation prioritised over customer needs.

    5. Helpful (1)

      "Great job all in all but teams are very unstaffed and under resourced!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at The National Trust full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Beautiful working environments.

      Lovely people to work with.

      Good training.

      Good organisational culture at Regional and National Level.

      Good values.

      Cons

      Not much ability to progress or relocate as jobs don't come up much.

      Teams are under resourced and understaffed.

      Ever increasing hours and expectations to work weekends, bank holidays and holiday periods.

      Poor Salary with no pay for over time, expected to work for time in lieu that you never get back.

      Mid management and lower are treated poorly and expected to carry out the bulk of the work.

      Lower grade staff are expected to work at a much higher level than in other organisations for very low comparative wages.

      Each property follows its own rules, the top of the organisation is very disconnected from what actually happens on the ground.

      Very unsupportive of personal circumstances such as doctors appointments etc, due to the fact not enough staff to run properties.

      Commercial projects are the driving force of everything for the Trust now, very little focus on conservation and back log.

      364 Opening is destroying houses, collections and NT Staff.

      Advice to Management

      Sort out the resourcing issues and the Trust will be a great place for everyone.

    6. Helpful (1)

      "Overall good, but pay not great"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Retail
      Current Employee - Retail
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at The National Trust full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Beautiful surroundings, great team of people (mostly) to work with
      Good benefits (discount plus free membership)
      Varied job, training and new skills encouraged
      Flexibility on working days (though not times)

      Cons

      Pay isn't great, particularly for amount of work actually expected
      Retail/Catering supervisors expected to essentially run departments but on much lower hourly wage than department heads.
      No fixed work pattern - no extra incentive for bank hols etc
      Can take a long time to get issues resolved - having to go through various offsite helpdesks etc

      Advice to Management

      Look at lower pay bands.
      Expectations of a supervisor vs salary are completely removed from high street etc

    7. "Catering Assistant"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Catering Assistant in Charlecote, England
      Former Employee - Catering Assistant in Charlecote, England

      I worked at The National Trust part-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Friendly colleagues. Beautiful location. Opportunity to engage in a variety of catering tasks. Management respected you and valued your opinion and progression.

      Cons

      Catering was let down by the lack of restaurant facilities which led to complaints on behalf of the customers.

    8. Helpful (2)

      "Manager"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Visitor Services Manager in Dorchester, South West England, England
      Current Employee - Visitor Services Manager in Dorchester, South West England, England
      Recommends
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at The National Trust full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Great team and work setting. Lovely volunteers. Staff perks are ok.

      Cons

      Budget targets set too high, extremely difficult to get things done or repaired. Money wasted on big corporate days when it could be used to get rid of repairs back log. Low pay for expectations.

      Advice to Management

      Male staff feel more valued. Invest in operational requirements and listen to people on the ground. Increase pay for grades.

    9. Helpful (3)

      "Squeezed Out"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Holidays Operative in Callington, England
      Former Employee - Holidays Operative in Callington, England
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at The National Trust part-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      I think the 20% off in the shop and holiday cottage bookings is an incentive for employees. However, the cottage prices are extortionate so employees can get something similar for less money anyway.

      Cons

      They expect to underpin their charity status by employing people on a low wage and have hidden expectations of employees for which they do not offer remuneration. They see this as having a "can do" attitude, ie. you must give up your own time and efforts for free to get on. You also have to be at their beck and call every day as all the cottages can be let on imminent short lets basis.

      Advice to Management

      It became most apparent that I was to be squeezed out after I had refused to take dirty bedding/towels/kitchen linen into my home after cleaning a cottage. My manager expected me to do this to save them paying my petrol to return it to the linen store. Having worked for the NHS for 8 years I know enough about infection control to know I don't want other people's dirty linen in my house. When I refused to take the linen home I received an email telling me I was being "obstructive" and that the manager wanted staff with a "can do attitude". The email also suggested I reflect on whether the job was right for me! Then when I put in my petrol claim for travel to a cottage it was questioned. I was only to be paid for 4 miles whilst my colleague doing exactly the same journey was paid for 5! The journey is indeed 5 miles. I am 54 four years of age and do not like being treated like a schoolchild, I can hand on heart say I have never worked anywhere like it. There should be equal opportunities for all staff - that is the law. Management need to know that this sort of management approach is archaic and could end up with them being taken to a tribunal for constructive dismissal. I can't be bothered, its not worth the hassle. I always used to think highly of National Trust but I now see them very differently in the light of my experience. I think I've had a lucky escape.

    10. Helpful (4)

      "Bulling is the norm in the trust"

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

      I have been working at The National Trust full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      The pay isnt to bad. There is some great people you will work with. You get to work in some very beautiful locations.

      Cons

      Bulling is key to the national trust. If they don't like you they will use bullying tactics to make you leave. They have made me feel so bad about myself that I'm at breaking point. They know it but still carry on. My manger is on a power trip as new to the role. But with a head of department pulling the strings. I know some will say you feel this way report it but I know it will make it worse for me. They are bullying to the extent I'm having thoughts of self harm and worse again. But there OK with this and keep on pushing its basically keep going till you give in and leave yourself. If they want you out but they have nothing solid on you they will get you on any small thing.

      Advice to Management

      You need to see that bulling happens alot in the trust look at what staff are saying. You must see there has to be something in it. Your allowing bulling to go on with staff being very little to protect them self and say how they feel. Trust me I have tried to say how I feel to them but they push it back on you and have an answer to come back on. The management can bully staff and your allowing it to continue.

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