Supportive team and great benefits, but winter driving is tough - Front Desk Receptionist Darwin Escapes Employee Review

Joining Darwin Escapes in September 2025 during a period of significant change has been an incredibly positive and rewarding experience. Starting at a time when the business was going through a major transition meant the first six months were challenging, but in a really constructive way. It gave me the opportunity to learn quickly, take on responsibility, and make a genuine impact from the start. During this time, I’ve been able to implement a number of positive changes within the payroll function and continue developing my skills within my career. Being promoted from Payroll Manager to Head of Payroll in such a short space of time has been a huge achievement for me, and it really shows how much the company supports growth and recognises hard work. There is also so much room for development here. The People and Culture team are all genuinely lovely and extremely supportive they really want to help not just individuals, but the wider business as well. That support has made a big difference during such a fastpaced period of change. Overall, it’s been a challenging but very positive first six months. I’ve grown a lot both professionally and personally, and I’m really excited to continue developing my career with Darwin Escapes.

The period of change can be fast paced and sometimes challenging, but it also creates opportunities to learn and improve

I began my employment at Darwin Escapes as a HR Administrator in December 2023. During this time I had the opportunity to support the HR & Payroll teams whilst learning and developing my skills and knowledge. I have had the opportunity to get involved with many projects and support my colleagues across the wider HR Team which has been invaluable. In July 2025 after expressing my interest to progress I was given the opportunity to develop into the People and Culture Advisor role which has been challenging, rewarding and a fantastic experience so far. Further to this, I was encouraged to enrol on a CIPD level 5 course to further support my knowledge within my role. This has given me invaluable insights which I can apply to further support my role within the HR Team. I've also been able to enrol onto additional external training courses to further support my learning which has been great and supportive. Darwin are very keen to support personal development, I am looking forward to the next 6 months worth of learning at Darwin!

The role can sometimes been busy and challenging however I am provided with support to help me through the busier periods to achieve the required goals.