SGS Employee Reviews

Nice company to work for quite relaxed, just leave you to get on with your job with minimal disruption. Have been wanting for a while to be trained in other areas which seem to have met a brick wall so progression may prove challenging, other than that a good company to work for.

Pros

Chilled

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Management have extremely poor attitude.

Coordinator (Former Employee) - Oldbury, West Midlands - 26 October 2023

Typical day at SGS for me involves arriving early to get set up for the day, checking emails that have come in and then starting the tasks that I need to do. Proposals, invoicing, raising PO's, chasing debts, updating the systems, etc. Fantastic colleagues, everybody in the Oldbury office is lovely and I've had nothing but a fantastic time working alongside them.However the issue comes to management. They're absent-minded, incompetent, focus too much on things that aren't their responsibilities (ignoring the things that ARE), whilst simultaneously questioning every single thing you do, why you did it, and overall treating you like an idiot. They treat internal auditors as if they are literally just a resource, not a person. Social/people skills are nonexistent and yet they're put in charge of a team of people. Huge turnover of staff, I've seen 6 people leave the team in the 18 months I was there and not a single one replaced. Any idea that doesn't come from them or any issue you bring up is not important enough for them to even consider looking into.Pay is not great and flexibility is moving backwards. New starters are not allowed any remote working days even in emergencies and are not even given laptops anymore.Wouldn't recommend unless you hate yourself.

Pros

Free coffee from the vending machine, lovely people to work with.

Cons

Management are awful, don't care for their staff and treat you like you're something they stepped in

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Jobs at SGS

Trainee Lead Auditor - IATF Automotive

Building/maintenance Surveyor

Redditch

22 hours ago

Knowledge (Auditing) - One to be avoided.

Auditor (Former Employee) - UK - 30 September 2023

5-days client facing, evening training, travel and input of expenses in fine detail (all in your own travel in own time), travel on weekends, mandated training on trivia (miss any part and loose your bonus). 37.5 hr week? more like x2 at least. Place in continual crisis. Very poor management. No planning, no organisation. Refuse to accept they have problems. Auditors and managers leaving. Try to do a good job and your stress levels are through the roof - no, and I mean NO, support from any part of the company. Software antiquated and hinders achieving job completion.In a nutshell, the job is near impossible.

Pros

You can leave.

Cons

3-month resignation period, Stress, Isolation, Detached management, They find ways not to pay the optional bonus, Training opportunities are nil, Pay increases if any generally well below inflation

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Vehicle inspector

Vehicle auditing (Former Employee) - Lincolnshire - 4 May 2023

Abandoned in a compound unless there is a major issue or a supplier visit, management seem very unskilled and get the management role for who they know not what they know

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Unfair full of conflict

Security Guard (Former Employee) - Bolton - 22 March 2023

I Could not stay long in my position as a security guard with them like many other security guards due to work load, stress, and and unfair company management.However hard you work no one appreciate your work.

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Insights into SGS

Based on 24 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Sense of belonging
Support from manager
Energising work tasks

Offshore chemist Rates

Offshore chemist (Current Employee) - Offshore - 13 March 2023

Poor appreciation of Offshore Chemists. Offshore rates continue to fall with no flexibility from management. Better rates elsewhere with greater support and appreciation.

Pros

Time off

Cons

Poor pay, no support

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Excellent :)

Internal Recruiter (Current Employee) - Ellesmere Port, Cheshire - 1 March 2023

The company is really flexible good work life balance, lots of opportunity for career progression and lots of training. The managers are really nice and helpful

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Great place to work

Internal Recruiter (Current Employee) - Ellesmere Port, Cheshire - 1 March 2023

The interview process is quick and helpful. Team is friendly and accessible, management is supportive and friendly. Progression within the company is realistic! Plenty of training. Great place to work for

Pros

progression, training

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Antiquated and coercive.

Sample Pack Technician (Former Employee) - Ellesmere Port - 29 December 2022

It's like walking into a relegation threatened football team in mid-April.There's next to no communication, co-ordination or teamwork. Targets were often set, then completely ignored because managers will not take ownership. Forward-thinking does not exist, with the result being, tasks are furiously and frantically finished because it's the company's ad-hoc way of achieving goals. Newer staff are harangued by a clique of older staff; coercion, open name-calling and a culture of blame are evident. The managers are experts in cajoling, gaslighting and break more promises than a trainee glass sculptor. The working environment is dated and disorganized, and the culture is laden with personal agendas. Avoid. Better is out there.

Pros

Parking Space

Cons

Endless overtime; maddening expectations; no support.

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Avoid

Laboratory Supervisor (Former Employee) - Avonmouth - 23 December 2022

Avoid terrible management and no work life balance at all Hyper stressful and they really don’t care as long as the work is doneFlog a willing horse until it dies comes to mind

Pros

It’s a job

Cons

Stress and uncaring

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Thinly veiled factory work

Laboratory Technician (Current Employee) - Cramlington - 15 December 2022

"Laboratory Technician" is the job title but this is more like factory line work. Yes it is a microbiology laboratory, but you will perform incredibly simplistic tasks eg. chopping food and placing it in bags, or filling tubes with liquid. At first you will be told that you will be trained in various different tasks but that soon becomes a distant memory as you will be chopping food into small samples for the entirety of your shift for months on end. The place operates like an old school factory with those that have been there for years essentially bullying new starters with the "team leaders" utterly and completely unable to do anything about it. The Team Leaders are woefully inadequate having been promoted solely by sucking up to the management. They are at best, poor leaders, and at worst unable to provide viable support in any area. Training is via E-learning and beyond inadequate. The 10% bonus relies upon all staff completing their online training for an entire year.The labs themselves are horrendously dated with many machines in a visible state of disrepair. This serves to highlight the horrendous culture of penny-pinching that ultimately holds this company back. It is easy to see why the turnover of staff is so high; poor pay, repetitive dull work, a culture of bullying, ineffective management, and no change of progression within the company.

Pros

Free parking

Cons

Mindnumbing work

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Long, scattered hours

Chemist (Current Employee) - West Thurrock, Kent - 11 December 2022

Be prepared to work ridiculous shift patterns. Work/life balance will be difficult to maintain. Pay should also be better for the amount of work done.

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Awful

Lab Technician (Former Employee) - Ellesmere Port, Cheshire - 2 December 2022

Poor pay, management are pretty much just bullies. Very little support. Avoid unless you want to be beaten down until you lose the will to live. Low pay, terrible conditions.

Pros

none

Cons

everything

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Serious lack of support

Registration technical assistant (Former Employee) - Ellesmere Port - 2 November 2022

Serious lack of support from certain management since day one. Ignored multiple health and safety issues brought to their attention and I felt bullied by certain members of management. Minimum wage with maximum stress and no praise or positive comments when you are doing well. Ended my time at the company feeling severely burned out and incredibly unappreciated.

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Not great

Security Officer (Current Employee) - Westhoughton - 16 October 2022

Management seem to have no prior experience or training in how to deal with their workforce. They operate within a time served policy regardless of competency. Their pay rates are low considering the companies they look after.

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Solid company

Chemist Inspector , Cargo Inspector OGC (Former Employee) - Ellesmere Port - 27 September 2022

I’ve worked for Intertek, BV, Saybolt and SGS .SGS is the best company in the UK to work for , if you can handle unsociable hours I recommend it , it’s better to move to SGS from competition company rather than starting at SGS. Negotiate your self worth before signing a contract because you may end up stagnant during your employment and they may counter offer you if you want to leave . As a highly experienced surveyor , pays should be as follows to start .Noob brand new £24k start Grade 2 experienced £29k (3+ years)Grade 3 experienced (5+ years / IFIA) £ 33.5kThis is what I think people should be paid based on the little to no social life job description. But if you can negotiate I’m sure you will get what you deserve , remember 35% tax is hours you never ever see for your entire life when trading your time for money so be smart . Cheers enjoy

Pros

Best company all round vs Intertek, Saybolt, BV - definitely the worlds leading inspection company, year end bonus up to 10% or small increase or both, in-house courses for other career, well organised structure and heirarchy, highest leave days vs competition, massive company number of employees- can easily make friends - people very humble and friendly, reporting system is sublime, big budgets more employees better service

Cons

Can carry multiple types of jobs but will understand the industry far better as a result, increased potential of cancer due to exposure of chemicals open sampling, can get overwhelming and stressful when shortstaffed or turnover not replaced quickly, if you highly compliant with health and safety you will reduce your risk of accidents to minimal

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Terrible company

Client Project Manager - (Remote) (Current Employee) - Camberley - 25 July 2022

Whilst I past my probation I have had no probation or end of year review with my manger since I started my job 18 months ago. There is no career progression or opportunities to grow, nor is this discussed with management.The working hours are ridiculous and pay is not commensurate with the role. I would not recommend this company.

Pros

Remote working

Cons

Long hours, no pay review, no progression

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It’s ok,

Analyst (Former Employee) - Uk - 13 July 2022

The job is not the most exciting. But the people make the place, can have a high turnover of staff. But it’s ok. The money is alright but it’s possibly on the low side considering the responsibility that we have

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Not inclusive for people with non-physical disabilities or mental health conditions.

Laboratory Technician (Former Employee) - Cramlington, Northumberland - 9 June 2022

Generally the other lab technicians and team leaders are a group of lovely people and easy to get along with. However SOME of the management have no remorse or care for people with mental health conditions or non-physical disabilities. Essentially will make you feel so out of place and unwelcome in the company that you feel inclined to leave, or ring in sick so much because you dread going to the place so much that you get dismissed. There is no clear progression within the company and is practically like working in a factory. The whole atmosphere of the lab was almost depressing, at times where it genuinely felt like everyone there didn't really want to be there. Lots of people ringing in sick for various reasons everyday, which makes you think how awful of an environment it is to work. I think if you want to work in an environment like this you need to be a certain type of person which is absolutely fine, however i still see this job advertised all of the time, so clearly other people are not enjoying it aswell. They say you need a keen passion for science, when infact there is very little science involved - you are basically chopping up bits of food and putting it into plastic bags for 8 hours straight. Overall not a great place to work if you want to get into the science industry or are neurodivergent/suffer from disabilities.

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Don't even think about it.

Vehicle inspection (Current Employee) - Lincolnshire - 28 April 2022

Management are useless, only time you hear from them is when you do something wrong, total lack of training, if you no nothing about vehicles you will be a perfect employee, total lack of communication you just have to guess what everyone is doing, for a massive company they are a joke.

Pros

None

Cons

Poor pay

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Great place to work

Administrator (Current Employee) - Remote - 7 April 2022

Really enjoy my time at SGS. Really helpful nice managers. Would recommend working there to anyone. Work with some great people. Training was really good.

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