So here goes... Limited Career Opportunities: One of the most glaring issues at ZOO is the lack of career growth prospects. There is an overwhelming sense of stagnation among employees, with minimal chances for upward progression. Career development and opportunities for growth are almost non-existent. I'd say that is just a consequence of the current situation at ZOO, but it's always been like that. Minimal Training: While the job might seem exciting from the outside, be prepared for the reality that there is minimal training and support at the start. You are often left to your own devices, which can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. This lack of training severely hampers professional development at the start. Later down the line when you're comfortable enough to do your job, there's little to no supportive training for your future career prospects. There was some effort that went into boosting training last year but it quickly dried up. Poor Morale: Morale at the company was fluctuant during my tenure. Many employees felt underappreciated, undervalued and underpaid. That was before 2023. It's easy to see why so many people are looking to leave now and it seems the company are happy to let them do so. I think there's a bit of arrogance they can just recruit new staff down the line that will have the same level of expertise of those leaving. If not that, offshore job roles to the offices abroad... more on that later. Mass Redundancies: The company has a history of mass redundancies, and job security was virtually non-existent when I left. These mass layoffs have created an atmosphere of insecurity and instability among the workforce. I was told this tends to happen after a couple of years again and again. This is obviously down to poor board management with poor planning for the future. Any employees still at ZOO know why this has happened this time. Really Low Pay: Compensation here is shockingly low, given the demands of the job and the industry standards. It's challenging to make ends meet, and this is a significant issue that most employees grapple with. The board claims to provide standard wages for the Sheffield area, but this assertion is totally false. In reality, the compensation falls well below industry standards, with other localisation companies in the North of England offering salaries ranging from 35k to 55k, which makes it challenging to meet the cost of living and can leave employees feeling undervalued/exploited. There's a very toxic stigma around those who are disgruntled with salaries. The response is just that the company cannot compete with those types of salaries and if people want to leave, they should. This doesn't just apply to newer employees, but those who have spent 4-5+ years at the company get the same response. It's a very valid issue across the company that salaries are too low and the response has never changed. I think this will really come back and bite them as experienced members have left due to the salaries and before I left it was already causing large problems. You can't replace the experience of those that have grown with the company and have shown loyalty by staying for so long. These people are not call center workers in entry level jobs. Inexperienced Managers: Another concerning aspect was the prevalence of inexperienced production managers. Many of the individuals in these key roles lack the necessary expertise and experience to effectively manage teams and projects. This inexperience often leads to inefficiencies, miscommunications, emotional turbulence and a lack of effective leadership, which can hinder the overall work environment and job satisfaction. It's not their fault either, the little training combined with urgency to fill management roles means inexperienced employees have to make that step up for fear of losing any career progression. Outdated Internal Software: ZOO's reliance on its own internal software for localisation falls behind industry competitors. The outdated tools and software can make the localisation process more cumbersome and less efficient. This can result in longer work hours and greater frustration for employees who are trying to keep up with more modern and streamlined solutions offered by other companies in the industry. You only need to look on competitor websites to see how good their software is. Offshoring Operations: Everyone can see a developing practice of reassigning roles and responsibilities to the offices abroad. While this may not be direct exploitation, it does contribute to the challenging work environment in the UK due to job insecurity and shifting responsibilities. It created uncertainty for employees who may see their roles changing or diminishing. Those who question if this is true should see the job openings being published in offices abroad after making so many redundant in the UK and US.
