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      1st Formations

      Engaged employer

      1st Formations Reviews

      4.0

      73% would recommend to a friend

      (94 total reviews)

      Graeme Donnelly

      80% approve of CEO

      76% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.0

      Compensation and benefits

      3.9

      Diversity and inclusion

      3.8

      Culture and values

      3.8

      Senior management

      3.8

      Career opportunities

      3.6

      Work/Life balance

      1st Formations has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 94 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The 1st Formations employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Legal industry (3.8 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      94 reviews
      1.0
      7 Nov 2025

      Workplace or Prison?

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Great staff from line managers and below only Lovely office space

      Cons

      CEO claims to be this inspirational character on LinkedIn yet he makes racial slurs and treats his staff with no respect at all. His right hand man and chief of staff is just as bad, he’s a bully and has no respect for all staff, this is because he’s treated in the same way by the CEO so decides to behave like this himself, he has a serious power trip to all staff below him just to feel better about himself, it’s really insecure behaviour. No flexibility in the company. Made to feel like you’re not good enough and the company is doing you a favour All staff completely drained and demotivated No core value or respect for employees

      avatar
      1st Formations Response
      6mo
      Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're truly sorry to hear that your time with us left you feeling this way. While it’s encouraging to know you had strong relationships with your colleagues and valued the office environment, we’re concerned and disappointed to hear that your overall experience did not reflect the values we strive to uphold. At 1st Formations, we are committed to fostering a respectful, supportive, and inclusive workplace for everyone. The behaviours and experiences you’ve described are not reflective of the culture or leadership approach we aim to promote. We understand the responsibility we have not only to set high standards, but also to lead with empathy, fairness, and integrity. If individuals have felt disrespected, unheard, or unsupported, that is deeply regrettable and not aligned with our intent or expectations. We want to be clear that we take concerns of this nature very seriously. Feedback like this is essential in helping us reflect honestly and identify areas where improvement is needed. Your comments have been shared with our leadership team to support continued dialogue around employee wellbeing, trust, and culture. We remain committed to creating a positive working environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and treated with dignity. We acknowledge that growth involves listening closely, even when feedback is difficult. If you would be open to speaking further, we welcome the opportunity to hear more. You're very welcome to contact us at HR@1stformations.co.uk . We wish you all the best in your career moving forward.
      2.0
      16 Oct 2025

      Awful director culture as soon as you scratch the surface

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Office is quite nice, pay is pretty good because it's the only way they can avoid a mass exodus. Majority of staff that are non directors are genuinely talented and good people.

      Cons

      The directors are overwhelming in their approach to creating a toxic culture. There is the owner, and his two puppets, who have scaled the business by sacrificing themselves to act how the owner would at all times. They all should be frankly ashamed of how they belittle their staff and believe they are correct at all times. The micromanagement is beyond belief. Anyone who joins here having been elsewhere with a normal culture will immediately clash here, and the staff turnover is insane. You can see how toxic the culture is from the frankly ludicrous LinkedIn campaign over the summer, which must be one of the most embarrassing things I've seen in a workplace. The "owner" creates a post with his thoughts on some random scenario and the staff all repost it and tell him how wonderful his thoughts are. Seems so genuine!

      avatar
      1st Formations Response
      7mo
      Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We’re genuinely sorry that your experience at 1st Formations didn’t align with the positive and supportive environment we strive to provide. We’re glad you found value in your relationships with colleagues, but we also recognise that there were challenges, and we appreciate your honesty in highlighting them. At 1st Formations, we value open communication and take all feedback seriously. We’re committed to fostering a workplace culture built on fairness, respect, and collaboration, and we recognise that this is an ongoing process. Your comments have been shared with senior leadership as part of our continued commitment to building a respectful, engaging, and supportive environment for all team members. Our People Team are well invested in further promoting wellbeing and ensuring fair, transparent processes across the company. We appreciate your contribution during your time with us and wish you every success in your future endeavours. If you’d like to share more insights, we’d welcome hearing from you at HR@1stformations.co.uk
      1.0
      16 Oct 2025

      Poor management

      Company formation executive
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      -I have met some friendly and supportive colleagues. -Office location in London is beautiful. -Sick pay leave. -The first 2, 3 weeks of work are quite relaxed and welcoming. -Easy to grasp the essentials and learn on the way.

      Cons

      -Awful and uneducated customer base. -Unprofessional senior management, who does not listen to their staff. -No HR function in the company. -Poor salary in comparison to other colleagues. -Hot during summer and freezing in winter in the office. -Mentally draining company which forces you to be glued to your table 9-5. -Frequent layoffs without any reason. -Excessive micromanagement. -Invisible CEO.

      avatar
      1st Formations Response
      7mo
      Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re sorry to hear that your time at 1st Formations did not reflect the kind of supportive and engaging workplace we aim to create. While we’re pleased to know you connected with colleagues and appreciated aspects such as our London office and onboarding process, we understand that other parts of your experience were challenging, and we truly value your honesty in sharing this feedback. At 1st Formations, we’re committed to fostering a culture built on fairness, respect, and continuous improvement. We recognise that everyone’s experience is unique, and we take all feedback seriously as part of our ongoing efforts to learn and grow as an organisation. We regularly review our workplace practices, management approaches, and internal communication to ensure our values are reflected throughout the business. Your comments have been shared with our senior leadership team to help guide improvements in areas such as employee wellbeing, support, and engagement. Our People Team continues to play an active role in developing initiatives that prioritise a positive and inclusive working environment. We appreciate your contribution during your time with us and wish you every success in your future endeavours. Should you wish to share further insights, we’d welcome the opportunity for a continued conversation at HR@1stformations.co.uk.
      Viewing 1 - 3 of 94 Reviews
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      Reviews1st Formations reviews

      Glassdoor has 99 1st Formations reviews submitted anonymously by 1st Formations employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if 1st Formations is right for you.