Firstly, I NEVER write reviews. However, due to the actions of NCC in manipulating the reviews on Glassdoor, I was compelled to write something. You can spot the company reviews as they talk about how “great” the company is, how many “opportunities” there are. Every time there is a bad review, company HR send an email to “trusted employees” asking them to write a positive review on Glassdoor – so rather than focus on fixing the issues raised, they just manipulate the score and content here to persuade the reader that it is all is amazing.
Not. The. Case.
****SPOILER ALERT**** If you want to continue onwards into employment at NCC without the knowledge below then good luck to you. The information below is provided as examples of how poor this company is, and should form part of any individual due diligence before joining NCC.
NCC is divided into two business areas: Escrow and Assurance. There was a third area focusing on domain services (.trust), but this was a failure and has been wound down. The Escrow business is the profitable arm of the company, but is internally considered to be the embarrassing sibling to the Assurance business. This is for a number of reasons as described below:
- The Escrow business is a call centre/sweatshop operation, filled with young, impressionable graduates who are indoctrinated into a business that cares very little about them. Handpicked staff are in the “strategic accounts team”, providing they meet the approval of the manager there, who selects people based on how “polished” they are, rather than their ability. If it was ability based several of the longer-term escrow “Corporate Account Managers” would already be working in the strategic team, earning the much larger wages that are on offer (Min £70k basic). This says a lot about progression/development of staff within the organisation, as most Strategic team are external hires. Strategic Accounts has been an expensive failure as a concept – no external hires are left – most seeing the light, and others seeing the door as they are deemed “too strategic”. Team missed target, but the manager got a promotion, blaming others for lack of performance.
- There is a database of contacts, and staff are targeted on 2 hours talk time per day. These stats are measured and broadcast regularly to all staff as a way of bullying underperforming staff into talking more to clients. This bullying can be in the form of direct emails, or out-and-out shouting and screaming at people in front of the entire sales floor. Theory goes that 2 hours talk time means there will be more sales. However, with a limited number of clients for each sales person, the same contacts are called again and again and again. Anyone fresh into the business at any level will face completely frustrated “contacts” who will generally tell you where to go, along with “we have had 3 changes of Account Manager this year” – mostly due to the hire and fire culture.
- This is FEAR selling – the worst form of sales out there. More likely to need Meteor insurance. The product is an Insurance policy wrapped in a Legal Agreement, for an event that will likely never happen. Most software companies get bought/asset stripped long before they fail, and those that do fail normally do so, as their clients have bought an alternative solution. This “Insurance” is rarely called upon. Most clients pay thousands for a product they will never need.
- A 6-month probationary employment period is actually an extended interview period. Constant reminders are publicly given to staff about passing probation, and it is used as a stick to ensure conformance with internal ways of working. Employee contracts are used to get rid of staff whenever the company wants to within first 2 years. HR is there to protect the company, and offers zero value or protection to staff. Revolving door approach to hiring staff. Staff fired for most innocuous things, wearing brown shoes being an example.
- Zero trust, zero empowerment - You are told when you can have your lunch, and if you’re not back at your desk at precisely 1330 questions are asked. Many staff squeeze in a quick social drink on a Friday at lunchtime, resulting in swathes of Adults running through the streets at 1329 to be back at their desks. No holidays allowed in May or October. When you do go on Holiday, you are given a sit-down chat when you get back, questioning your commitment to the business.
- Very poor facilities for staff – Toilets being a prime example. This is being addressed with an office move, but it is interesting to note that toilets on the management floor are like a swish hotel, and on the ground floor they are like a railway station. This says more than anything about how the management treats staff – a true them and us scenario.
- Poor Morals - Embarrassing to work for a company that hires a dwarf to handcuff himself to people at the Christmas party. This was organised by senior management as “entertainment”. Waved off as a “bit of fun” when challenged, despite being something akin to an episode of The Office.
- Strategic Team – this area of Escrow involves selling more to big clients. And that’s the strategy of the team. No long-term planning, just short term results always focused on this week/month – rather than the 3 – 5 year cycle, as most large clients view their technology planning and strategy. No strategic pricing, no strategic contact planning, no formulated, recognisable strategy. Sell more and don’t ask questions. Failure by the company to recognise that the product is not a strategic solution sale, means Strategic Accounts has ultimately been an expensive, and failed experiment.
- “Open door Policy” – Any company that needs to constantly tell you this has a serious problem. The door is always open, but the mind is always closed. Any issues raised are waved away with a “let’s just crack on” response. New ideas from staff are kicked around, and then brought out as original management ideas further down the line. Raise anything that goes against the mainstream and you are likely to be fired. They want robots not humans with experience and questions.
- Your accounts will be getting spoken to by other sales staff – regularly deals are put through by others on your accounts, and these actions covered up. You can’t trust anyone. When you eventually find out and raise it as a problem “It’s your fault for not being in touch with that contact”, even if you have spoken to them.
- Due to a change in the structure, none of the senior managers has ever successfully done the job. None of the managers have a personal contribution target to the business. Management by spreadsheet is the order of the day, until there is a threat to their bonus – then they are hands on! This disconnect between management and staff means they are out of touch with clients and what is actually happening in the business
– sure they see the numbers, but they don’t actually know what employees think about them and their abilities, or that clients think their talk time strategy means they are pestered!
- There are no real career opportunities. External hires are the order of the day. Jobs are handed to external recruiters and not posted internally. No one in UK Escrow senior management team has worked their way up from the floor to a management position – all external hires who have never successfully done the job. Even when their Teams fail to hit target they are promoted, and blame lack of performance on their team members. They are very basic managers, not leaders.
- No flexible working – Staff aren’t trusted to do this. Senior Managers do this as often as they want, are noticeably absent for extended periods of time during the week to do the school run/sports day etc, or to “work from home”, when the nanny isn't available.
- Zero training or career development. Your Manager will pick apart any career goals you have and just distil it back to “if you don’t want to be here”, or “what if that job doesn’t exist here?”. Your answer to the 2nd question determines how long you will stay. L&D have no development plans in place for any staff, and when asked about career development, you are pointed back to your manager.
Avoid at all costs. Their reputation is so very poor and many staff hate working here. Sure, “why work somewhere if you don’t like it” is a great one liner, but most people are sold a different role/business to that which they end up with. By that stage you will likely have already left a good job, and you stick it out as long as you can.
