Pros
I had a lot of positive experiences at ZOO when I first started, and despite the low pay there were extra benefits such as free snacks and drinks, city centre parking and (somewhat) flexible working hours. The actual work is for the most part enjoyable and interesting, but there isn’t much room for progression or additional learning, which means it can quickly become repetitive and things tend to be either incredibly busy or very quiet, with no in between. The staff “on the ground” were what made the company and why I stayed so long in all honestly. Most staff would go above and beyond to help each other, work extra hours, and a lot stuck by the company when it started having mass redundancies in 2023. As a result of this, however, I did witness a lot of people - myself included- burn themselves out trying to go above and beyond for a company that in the end wasn’t giving much in return.
Cons
I don’t think it is the case in every department but I certainly felt micromanaged a lot of the time and like I was unable to put my own stamp on my role or have much creative freedom. If you are lucky enough to be officially promoted (because unfortunately there are a lot of people doing a lot more than their grade with only the promise of possible progression) there is a lack of training for management, meaning that a lot of managers are not equipped for their roles and therefore are not able to support their staff as much as they should. A lot of benefits the company once gave now have either been taken away or scaled back, and other companies seem to offer a lot more desirable packages. Post-redundancies there hasn’t been much communication or steps taking to improve staff morale and make them feel valued, meaning a lot have since left.
