Pros
The people were nice and I made some really good friends during my time at the business. Add People set me up with a strong foundation to build on my career as an account manager.
Cons
The cons unfortunately outweigh the pros of working at Add People. While there are some positive aspects, there are several ongoing issues that significantly impact both employee wellbeing and the overall working environment.
Training for new starters is extremely limited. Employees are initially overwhelmed with large amounts of information in a short period of time, making it difficult to retain or properly apply what they have learned. After this initial onboarding, support quickly drops off and staff are expected to manage client accounts independently with minimal guidance.
The workload across the business is consistently high, and many employees appear overworked and under significant pressure. Considering the level of responsibility involved, the salary is very low, with bonuses and promotions feeling largely unattainable even for those who work hard and consistently perform well. As a result, staff turnover is extremely high and has become a noticeable issue within the company.
Unfortunately, because experienced staff regularly leave, newer employees are often required to take on additional responsibility far earlier than they should, usually without adequate support or mentorship. The company culture also feels quite cliquey, particularly among employees who have been there longer, which can make it difficult for newer team members to feel included or supported. On top of this, very little effort is made to maintain morale within teams, despite the obvious strain many employees are under.
The workplace often feels reactive rather than proactive. Little appears to be done to address the root causes of dissatisfaction or to incentivise employees to stay long term. Constant staff departures negatively affect not only the quality of work being delivered, but also the atmosphere and morale across the office. Rather than encouraging open discussions around these issues, employees are often discouraged from speaking negatively on the office floor, which creates the impression that concerns are being ignored rather than addressed.
Personally, whenever I raised concerns with senior management, no meaningful changes were ever made. These same issues are regularly discussed by employees, yet there seems to be little willingness to improve the situation.
The office environment itself also reflects the lack of investment in staff. Cleanliness standards are poor, with mould visible around toilets and coffee machines, and the computers and equipment are outdated. Benefits are minimal — only one free coffee per day, no paid sick leave, and the minimum annual leave allowance. Overall, there appears to be very little investment in employees or their working environment.
Finally, what stood out most to me was the lack of appreciation or professionalism when employees leave. Despite working closely with my Head of Department, my departure was never acknowledged and I did not even receive a goodbye. Experiences like this ultimately explain why so many people choose to leave. Significant cultural and operational changes are needed if the company wants to improve staff retention and morale.
