Don't plan on sticking around long - Anonymous employee Helping Solutions Employee Review

The only pros were - a parking spot - some good colleagues (very few) - free coffee

Where do I even begin? This is the job that put me at such risk physically and mentally. A company run by an evil, entitled narcissist who sees people as pawns in his game of life. A man who will make anyone redundant or fire people even after they've done all of his dirty work. A man who took advantage of vulnerable young people to make a profit and who forced workers like myself to keep quiet and lie. This is a man who put staff at risk knowingly without any consideration. A man who didn't pay people for all the overtime they worked because he 'doesnt believe in overtime'. A man who manipulated people into being his favourites to use, abuse them and eventually discard them. I have never met such an evil human being. The work environment is horrible because people who helped him start his company were fired and made redundant without a second glance. You're stuck in fight or flight and your physical health suffers because of it. This man is dangerous - he will put you and others at risk. He also doesn't respect women, he sees us as "useless" if we are pregnant. He also doesn't respect LGBTQIA+ folks or anyone who doesn't support his dictatorship. A man who forced staff to post fake reviews on social media and google reviews. Extreme extreme beware!!! This is a man who acts like he has nothing and nobody to lose.

This is the first and only workplace I’ve ever worked at where I don’t get massive anxiety coming into work and actually look forward to engaging with my co-workers. The work environment is incredibly collaborative and supportive, and I feel heard, respected and valued by my manager. I know the team has my back and I have theirs. I can also recognise where I’ve grown in my skillset and feel like I’m gaining valuable experience to progress in my career. The CEO is very hands on in how he runs the company, and in my opinion, I believe this is a good thing as it sets the culture and expectation for the entire team. He challenges us to make decisions, learn from mistakes and grow in our roles. He also doesn’t blame or condescend when mistakes or challenges arise—he has faith and belief in us to solve for problems and always asks how he can support us in navigating challenges. One thing that really stands out to me is the open-door policy the CEO has and transparency he encourages across the team. No matter what role you are or where you sit in the hierarchy of the company, you feel equally valued and important. You feel like you can approach anybody to have a discussion or request something you need. There is no ‘that’s not my job/not my problem’ attitude, or office politics to navigate, just to be able to get your work done. The bond across the team is strong and makes it a great place to come to work. Boundaries are also encouraged— our downtime and personal lives are seen as just as valuable as our work time. We have flexibility where it counts (work/life balance) which I appreciate. Last but not least, we are really helping people in our work, and this is deeply fulfilling. We genuinely care when things can be improved and we’re always working together to improve our deliverables to clients. The workplace has a semi-entrepreneurial feel due to it being in early years, but this means each person on the team has a solutions-focused mindset and is willing to get stuck into work to support the company’s growth. When we achieve a big milestone or goal, everybody knows they played a part within their role to contribute and it’s widely celebrated across the team. This makes the environment very rewarding and you feel a sense of belonging in every moment.

I personally don’t have any cons but I think it’s important to note that the company is young. I personal align with the culture of the environment for this reason, I enjoy working with a ‘close-knit’ team and there are some things that lack rigorous structure, other things that could be improved upon from a managerial standpoint, but those things will come in time, in a way that fits the company vision (some things are already being worked on and implemented behind-the-scenes). I think, for some people, they may not enjoy the fact that things are fast moving and ‘opportunity’ driven (again, since the company is younger than a 20-year established company with routine ways of doing things). Business opportunities shift very quickly and our biggest wins have been in paying attention to the market environment around us and going with the flow. You need a 'can do/up for any challenge' attitude working here, and while there's some routine, every day is different. Additionally, if you are used to working in much larger teams with more processes, structure and managerial uplines, you may not enjoy working in this environment. I think there’s *room* for some of this to be further implemented in coming years, but right now, things are working for the team and I do believe any new systems and processes should be implemented in a way that makes sense for our team’s work style as the company grows... lest we lose the magic of what makes us work so productively and well together.