Element Materials Technology Employee Reviews

Good people , good environment, interesting and diverse work. Nice atmosphere, good systems, management are supportive, opportunity for progression and to to get involved in projects

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Productive and fun

Administrator (Former Employee) - Trawsfynydd - 14 September 2023

Worked as admin as mat cover at one of their power-plant sites, Manager was chill and down to earth but knew how to keep us busy. She was friendly and helpful when help was needed. Guys I worked alongside we're fun and friendly too, always willing to help and teach me. Best part was this site was 4 day week so hours could get a bit long but overall I preferred it.

Pros

4 day work week, friendly staff

Cons

long hours

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Insights into Element Materials Technology

Based on 37 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Fair pay for job
Energising work tasks
Support from manager

A small stepping stone to greener grass

Environmental - Lab technician (Former Employee) - Deeside, Flintshire - 16 July 2023

I worked at Element Deeside for 4 years. A typical day at work involved preparing samples using a variety of methods under a well implemented deadline for the analysts. I learnt a lot of industry standards that helped me get to a much more enjoyable and better paying job.Now, time to discuss management.. or the lack there of. The managers are notorious for being difficult, demanding and for some people like me, you were ostracized. When I began to struggle with my mental health, I was told "Its not just you, we are all feeling the pressure and we should just get on with it." This was the tipping point for me. There's a new culture of bringing in young graduates who stay for 3 months then find a better job. There were people whose names I didn't learn because they were out the door so fast. Favoritism is rife from managers who act completely unprofessionally. Saying Good morning would be met by a response of "Get set up and get on with it, we're very busy." There is a history of family and friends getting a helping hand up the ladder for progression. If you have no relation or you're not a yes man, you stay at the bottom. From what I've heard the pay has gotten better, but during my time there, new employees would come in on a wage considerably more than me, because they had a degree and my experience and training wasn't worth that. If you do end up working here, you may like it and enjoy it, but at least 80% of my former colleagues were drained by the place and were only there to pay the bills. Also, be careful of what you say and who you say it to, words spread like wild -

Pros

The people, the hours and two 15 minute breaks and half an hour for lunch

Cons

The pay, the management, the lack of progression

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Stresfull, not enough staff.

Senior Analyst (Former Employee) - Deeside - 11 July 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Nice and friendly people. Supportive management.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Large workloads and break downs of instruments affecting deadlines.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Very structured corpo environment, not much open for working time flexibility.What is a typical day like for you at the company?1. Clocking in before 7.58 when you start at 8am (7.59 you are considered late!)2. 8-9 am - Checking the over night runs3. 9.00 Morning meating with your lab supervisor4. Normal work duties for the rest of the day, with 2 15mins breaks in the morning and afternoon + 30 min lunch break.

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Fantastic place to work

Credit Controller (Former Employee) - Newbridge, City of Edinburgh - 8 July 2023

If you like pedantic micro managers and repetitive tasks which have little effect. The company would rather you spend more time on reporting your progress to the business than actually doing your job. I’d avoid if you have the option to.

Pros

Occasional buffet lunches

Cons

Everything else

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Avoid

Analyst (Current Employee) - Manchester, Greater Manchester - 9 May 2023

Awful place to work. They will make you do the jobs of 5 people and degrade and humiliate you if you struggle to keep up with the never-ending pile of work dumped on you every manager in the building.

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Undervalued, unhappy staff

Laboratory Technician (Current Employee) - Deeside, Flintshire - 16 March 2023

I was lured in during the interview process by the promise of career development and prospect for pay increases, but in reality this is just not an option for most people unless you are related to or see desperately kiss up to the managers. Most people give up and leave rather than wait around forever for some advancement meaning there are constantly staffing issues and there is never a fully trained team.There are lots of lovely people here and the hours are good, just don't expect to stay here forever if you want to build a career and develop professionally.

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Productive and energised workplace

Senior Accounts Payable Specialist (Current Employee) - Edinburgh, Scotland - 12 December 2022

Busy yet thriving environmentProactive managementCaring approach to workplaceExcellent benefitsLearning encouraged Flexible hours and ability wot work from home

Pros

Flexible working; Excellent benefits

Cons

Short lunch break

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Training and management is poor

Test Technician (Former Employee) - Aberdeen, Aberdeen City - 8 November 2022

The company does not care about people well being. The company is expecting you to do at least 6 hours of overtime a week, this really effect your work life balance. The management is poor, there is zero progression, once you know how to do something you are stuck in that position for months.

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Going downhill due to poor management

Test Technician (Former Employee) - Aberdeen - 1 November 2022

Every year they ask you to do an anonymous survey rating the company, get awful results, and then tell you that you're wrong, they're actually really great and change nothing. And then seem genuinely surprised at the extremely low morale and extremely high staff turnover. Work can be semi interesting if you're lucky enough to work with one of the more experienced/knowledgeable staff members, however most of the time you're shown which buttons to push and then stuck behind a machine for months on end.

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Jobs at Element Materials Technology

See more jobs

Trainee Non-Destructive Testing Technicians

Trainee Radiographic Technician (Night Shift)

Dudley

15 days ago

Laboratory Technician

Deeside

2 days ago

Certification Officer

High Wycombe

30+ days ago

Avoid

Test Technician (Former Employee) - Aberdeen - 22 October 2022

Huge turn over of staff and staff retention is poor. Place is being managed to the ground. Low pay for amount of work to be done. Techs are good to work with

Pros

Nothing

Cons

Lack of training. Poor management. No benefits. Get stuck behind a machine

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Productive work place

Asbestos analyst (Current Employee) - Anglesey - 12 October 2022

Supportive management and a relaxed atmosphere, development can be difficult when based on static locations but overall are trying to upskill and improve quality all the time

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Great people and good training.

CNC Machinist (Former Employee) - Bridgwater - 23 September 2022

I enjoyed it but a shame that covid came along and caused our workshop to shut. Great people to work with but quite a high turn over of staff. Office didnt comunicate as well as they could.

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So Productive that time flys at element

Goods In Operative/Test engineer (Former Employee) - Wednesbury - 4 June 2022

Had a great time working for element. Learnt so much regarding testing. Every day was different and that made time fly. My manager taught me so much in a short space of time.Thankyou element.

Pros

Everyday is different

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Awful people and even worse company

Worker (Former Employee) - Deeside, Flintshire - 8 May 2022

Not a place to work for. Unless you are friendly with management or are related/sleeping with them you have no chance of getting any higher promotion. If you don't "fit in" you'll know about it and be made to feel like an outcast. Company cares more about money than the quality of the work, doesn't care as long as clients are getting a result even if it's rushed and most likely incorrect. Pay is a joke for what is expected from you, bare minimum pay is all I can say. Don't set your heart on good pay here. Made to feel bad if you don't do overtime/are not open to it. Be careful with sharing any information with staff, management or HR, word gets around quick here. Staff drop ike flies. Constantly looking for new staff to replace others rather than adding more staff. Massive amount of clients and ot enough staff to meet deadlines correctly.

Pros

OK work hours

Cons

Awful people, Awful pay, No proper progression in job role, Pay just doesn't cut it, Effort put into work isn't appreciated. Pay fluctuations are a joke

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A good starting point

Engineer (Former Employee) - Manchester - 30 April 2022

Traditional role in construction / engineering, a great place where to start.(+) Working hours flexibility and competent office managers.(-) Corporate procedures not in line with actual operations at client-facing level.

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Negative, Managers do not accept feedback and talk down to colleagues

Administrator (Current Employee) - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire - 29 April 2022

Awful customer service, the worst I have seen working in a company, so many unhappy clients. Training is not good. Managers talk down to staff and think they are superior. Feedback is given by Management but colleagues responses are discounted. Staff generally seem unhappy, it is a negative place to work.

Pros

Hybrid working

Cons

Not appreciated

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Awful, take advantage fresh graduates who do not know their worth

Laboratory Technician (Current Employee) - Deeside - 21 April 2022

The pay here is shocking, graduates with degrees and masters degrees being paid barely over minimum wage. Pay rises given in April were less than half the rate of inflation and none existent if you had worked there less than 6 months (would be fine but there is no increase in pay upon passing probation, so have to wait over a year for any pay increase). Senior management and HR showed nothing but apathy to this, essentially saying ‘it is how it is and if you don’t like it, leave’.General vibe of the workplace is depressing, everyone seems to plod along with no enthusiasm, they know that the company doesn’t care about them and know it will never change.The job itself is intensely boring, the same thing all day every day, no variety and very little opportunity to diversify what you do, it is the least engaging job I have ever had and since no context is given to the work you feel like a hamster on a wheel going absolutely nowhere.If you’re a graduate looking to step into your first ‘proper job’ hold off and find something worthwhile, your current job in hospitality will pay pretty much the same and will be more engaging than working here.

Pros

Everyone is on the same boat and can’t wait to leave Monday to Friday, 9-5 (for now, apparently Saturday working is soon to be implemented

Cons

Boring seemingly pointless work, Pay is atrocious, Feeling disposable and easily replaceable, Depressing work environment, Awful company culture, Very little progression

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Great company to work for

Manager (Current Employee) - UK - 14 April 2022

I would recommend this company to anyone. I’m proud to be part of the great team. Healthy balance. Supportive environment. If you want progress this company will help you.

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Terrible place to work

Test Engineer (Former Employee) - Dudley - 14 February 2022

Terrible management. They don’t care about your well-being or your health, they just want people who work themselves to death so they can hit their targets.

Pros

Income

Cons

Everything else

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Great

BDA (Former Employee) - Sheffield, South Yorkshire - 18 January 2022

Was a great role to be in when I worked for Element a few years ago. Good training and culture. I only left for a change in career but would recommend.

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