My review relates solely to the experience I had within the Patient Services team which is, effectively, the Helpdesk. More specifically, the Helpdesk's failures; from its poor management to its (mal)function which I observed during my brief tenure.
What made the salary competitive (which stand-alone is, at best, basic) was their "Subsidised gym membership or home cleaning 50% off up to £90 a month" benefit which I commended them on during my initial HR screening call and during my line-manager interview. A few hours after my actual interview, I received a call from HR offering me the role and was told that the benefits discussed were no longer available but they have "new and exciting benefits coming up in a few months time. Though I accepted the role, I did express my disappointment that the benefit was no longer available (after all, this was the only tangible aspect that I considered as truly "competitive" in comparison to similar postings). The response to this statement (which was rather unnecessary) was: "You need to understand we're a start up, we are aspirational and our benefits need to benefit all". (A bit of BS if you ask me - and a rather pointless argument - but the ownership is wholly mine for accepting the role with this information at hand).
Nonetheless, and to my detriment, I accepted the role and hoped for the best. I was looking forward to my two-week onsite training, to meet my colleagues and learn the ropes. Another flailing disappointment.
The two-week onsite training was a hoax that never materialised. In fact, anything remotely resembling training was the odd Q and A quickie, all done remotely, yet the demand was to jump on the phones from day one. So, from day one, I was "helping" ill people or those enquiring about medical processes and how to navigate the world of MRIs and health scans without the slightest clue on how to actually assist them. "Take a message" was the recurring quip. Hundreds of calls a day for a very small team to handle, coupled with endless online chats and emails made for a relentlessly stressful work-day, full of, reasonably justified, angry customers and patients yelling at you. Add to this a "call-centre approach", which seems to be the favoured MO, where you are questioned why your status is "away" for too long (I was new and needed more time to wrap things up - particularly since I didn't have any training - and I didn't deem a loo visit explanation-worthy). So utterly ludicrous and demoralising at once.
The unremarkable pay, which for some unbeknownst-to-me reason was labeled competitive, was wrongly calculated, resulting in less take-home pay, the deductions they made were communicated post-pay and it took an unreasonable amount of time to rectify. It's telling that during my short stint, three employees left this team. The last two, myself included, have yet to receive our obligatory P45s despite repeated chasers and though much time has lapsed and we've gone on to better opportunities, the P45s have yet to be sent. Even in the end, they somehow manage to get it wrong and inconvenience you for your future endeavors.
Finally, a word of caution: Should you reluctantly accept a role within the Helpdesk any time after October but resign during the three month probation period, use your annual leave to its entirety because you will not get paid for it upon leaving! If your probation period overlaps the holiday year (which is from 01/01 to 31/12) but you resign after 01 Jan, you will loose everything you accrued before 31/12. This particular caveat is NOT mentioned in the employment contract, in fact, the contract is rather conflicting in such instances.
I left feeling failed from start to end - and most alarmingly - well after my departure too.
