If it wasn't for the pesky word count, I could outdo Tolkein in this section. Where to start? Why not kick off with the targets. Of which there are a few. The main one being a call target. But this is NOT a call centre. No siree, despite the fact all calls are recorded and monitored. Despite the fact the telephone is pretty far down the pecking order as far as 21st century communication methods are concerned.
Micromanagement rules here, but many of the managers allegedly do not know what this is. On the subject of management, most of the team leaders have been promoted from within. Sounds good so far? Surely means the company has fantastic opportunities for promotion? On the face if it, the answer is a firm yes, but most of the robots who are promoted have no managerial experience. Or people skills. This also makes them easier to control by senior management. The puppet strings are still visible from certain angles however. The fact that only one externally appointed manager remains with the company compounds the above point. Many of the management team would publicly execute their granny if it means their own reputation remains untarnished. Self importance is the overwhelming vibe among the management clique.
On to the job itself, which is shockingly mundane. There is no exaggeration here, the reality is you are expected to spend all day on the phone trying to reach commercial surveyors who must be bored senseless listening to the same tired buzz words every month. Costar claim to be a customer focussed company, but any negative feedback, whether it be from subscribers or staff is swept under the carpet. If you are a member of staff who has any sort of constructive feedback, you are dead meat. I know the last couple of paragraphs sound like a dystopian yarn, but this is the cold hard truth. You cannot speak up against management, it is a hate crime in the crazy world of Costar. It is blatantly obvious from the review pattern that senior management have cast their eyes over the feedback. Why? Because in true Costar fashion, rather than take the negative points on board and try to improve working conditions, they get some of the aforementioned puppets to write happy clapping reviews in a quest to shunt any negativity from the front page. Well done guys, Uncle Joe would've been proud. I have also noticed at least one particularly critical missive from last year has been removed completely.
Despite what HR used to tell us, staff turnover is pretty high. I can think of at least a dozen medium to long serving staff that have left research after me. Costar bucked a lot of trends a few years back in a depressed job market. They had their pick from a rich talent pool , many of whom had been made redundant from positions in their chosen area. With the upturn in the job market, many of these people (myself included) have returned to their chosen field. Perhaps this may trigger the powers that be into improving working conditions and lessening the need for that revolving door.
Despite the above assassination, I do think Costar could be a decent place to work. If senior management dismounted from their high horse and actually listened to the staff and subscribers, the resulting overhaul would cause a wholly positive change in working conditions. I mean, imagine listening to constructive feedback from subscribers. They are only responsible for inward cash flow. Guess I am just a maverick.......
