The Big Word Employee Reviews

good place to work if U are a broke student and know languages and have some free hours to spare each day to do some interpreting or translation jobs.

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It’s ok

Team Manager (Former Employee) - Leeds - 26 March 2023

Appears like a fully functioning company at first. After a few months you start to see the wool removed from your eyes.Hard work does not matter it’s all about who you know….Would not recommend

Pros

Free breakfast

Cons

No support

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Insights into The Big Word

Based on 8 survey responses

What people like

Energising work tasks
Ability to learn new things
Time and location flexibility

Areas for improvement

Sense of belonging
Support from manager
Trust in colleagues

Low rates even though noticed others pay even less

Freelance Polish interpreter (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 21 November 2022

Complicated invoicing had to compete for assignments for responding to text messages asap Low rates, but now see others paying even less than what I used to paid few years ago… things could have changed.

Pros

some work

Cons

low pay assignments mostly 20£ for hospitals

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Poor rates of pay

Telephone Interpreter (Current Employee) - Home Based - 3 November 2022

Telephone Interpreters get paid below the Minimum National Hourly Rate although we have to have a great knowledge of the subjects we interpret ie: law and health as well as other subjects like local authorities, probation, asylum interviews etc.We are under a great amount of pressure to perform and deliver to the best of our skills and abilities however we hardly make £8.00 p/h although the demand for telephone interpreting has massively increased for the last 2 years. Although our job is very rewarding we do not get paid according to our skills. After many years of working for this company I still do not know who is our manager or have any contact details of any department,

Pros

Home based

Cons

Poor wages

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You don’t get paid enough

Client Account Coordinator (Former Employee) - Leeds, West Yorkshire - 11 December 2021

You have a lot to do during the day ,you get things thrown at you and you get asked to do things that are not part of your role and you don’t get paid for it .You don’t get recognised for the work you do .The system is the main issue and it never gets resolved

Pros

Work form home

Cons

Not paid enough, no progression

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Amazing Company

Interpreter (Current Employee) - Work from home - 29 June 2021

I am currently working for the Big Word and I absolutely love it, Right from when I onboarded. Everyone was so helpful and each time I have asked for help the recruitment team in Pune has been amazing. I don't know many companies where the CEO even replies to your messages and tries to help you. I found myself in a really unfortunate situation and they all helped me so much - I will never forget that. Amazing company.

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Stressful and miserable

Interpreting Coordinator (Former Employee) - Leeds - 24 March 2021

Lack of appreciation from manager's and CEOS, work load has increased due to company getting rid of staff. No incentives to our job and are paid unfairly for the amount of work staff do.

Pros

Working from home. Nice colleagues

Cons

Huge work load. Minimum wage. No incentives. Not valued. No job security

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Poor payment

Interpreter (Current Employee) - Leeds, West Yorkshire - 17 July 2020

The telephone interpreting rates are too low , they pay me 18pence per minute , interpreting over the phone is no easy job to do . I think interpret should get pay more . .

Pros

Busy

Cons

Rates too low .

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Stressful and clicky

Customer Manager (Former Employee) - Leeds, West Yorkshire - 22 May 2020

Only benefit to working in this hot, noisy, stressful hole is finishing. Managment have favourites, constant changes to work expectations and process, canteen is awful! Terrible parking, training is useless as no one knows the process as its constantly changing! Constant pressure to deliver

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Poor pay and no job guarantee

F2F and TI interpreter (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 26 March 2020

1 hour F2F job in a whole day sometimes, sometimes none. TI - in a day none at all, some times a call lasts for £0.04. Now with Covid-19 less jobs or no jobs at all and reduced rate of 15%. £0.21 minute call rate gone down even less with no minutes or hours guaranteed.

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Good

apprentice project administrator (Former Employee) - leeds ring road - 24 October 2018

The big word is a great company to work for, interesting work, and a friendly office environment. The managers are very easy to get along with and very helpful

Pros

Lots of company benefits

Cons

long hours

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My Review

Interpreter and Translator (Current Employee) - Leeds - 1 June 2018

A typical day at work is doing the usual tasks in a best possible way with an efficiency. Always have to be ready for unexpected situations and ready to make quick decisions. Working as a team regardless of ht post and the position, but at the same time, everyone has to know their own responsibilities and not to interfere with other's duties unless it's necessary. A workplace should be fun and a place that people are happy to go to.

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Review

Language Assistant (Current Employee) - Leeds, West Yorkshire - 16 February 2018

A good place to work where you will take approxiametly 30-50 calls on average day. Dealing with customer and clients. Clients can be courts and police office

Pros

free drink

Cons

Basic wage

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productive

Translator, F2F Interpreter, TI interpreter (Current Employee) - West Midlands - 11 January 2018

Language interpreter within public servicev always on go and getting to learn new glossary every day the hardest part - not to use my own emotions I love my job

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I am self Employed

Interpreter/Translator (Current Employee) - London, UK - 16 May 2017

I am very happy with this company. They are in general very polite on the phone and very clear with their instructions Happy to be part of their team of Interpreters and translators

Pros

Self Employed

Cons

Self Employed

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Treatment of interpreters

Interpreter (Former Employee) - Tyne and Wear - 1 May 2017

Never work for this company. Their whole approach to paying interpreters is flawed and has left me and several people I know out of pocket. If that wasn't bad enough they are completely unwilling to accept responsibility. But simply blame it in their computer system - which of course is in their control, not mine. This company could not exist if it were not for the hard work of their network of interpreters. Yet they treat us with contempt and disdain. I have worked for them for several years but their failure to pay has got worse and I intend to resign. Thus review is to save others the frustration and loss of earnings I have endured.

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Very poor payment rates for telephone interpreters

Interpreter (Current Employee) - United Kingdom - 4 February 2016

They are the company with the poorest rates of pay. It is not an easy job to deal with many phone calls (some of them very sentive and difficult) for very little money. This company is charging clients 3 or 4 times more what they pay to interpreters which to me seems to be a large profit going to the people who are not doing the work. Paying these rates to interpreters I find it hard to belive they are providing good services to the clients. Many services providers are using this company and they are not aware of the precarious situation in which interpreter are working.

Pros

Interesting work

Cons

poor pay

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Work,work,work at TheBigWord

Interpreting Implementation Administrator (Former Employee) - Leeds, ENG - 5 June 2015

the people i worked with were friendly as a whole as were most of the bosses. there is a comfortable environment. the hardest part of the job is that tasks are very repetitive

Pros

5 Mins from shops and close to bus stops

Cons

5.30 finish

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Busy Busy Busy

Part Time Project Director (Current Employee) - Leeds, ENG - 16 July 2014

Always busy, difficult due to hours. The Big Word does translation and localisation, they use trados and are a global company. I manage the Project Managers and on an evening also manage the MMS and Engineering Teams.

Pros

Great idea and benefits

Cons

Hours

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Interesting and Challenging work

Freelance Public Service Interpreter (Current Employee) - Leeds - 4 March 2014

I would be required to make my way to a venue ie: A Port in the UK to assist as an Interpreter during an interview that takes place between an applicant and and a Border Force Officer, an interview could last anything between 2-5hrs, Over the years I have learnt not to be judgemental about people's circumstances and to treat everyone equally. The Management have always been there to support whenever necessary, the same goes for co-workers who will be as patient and understanding as I am in difficult situations. The hardest part of my job is experiencing applicants frustration and despair and sometimes feeling helpless, especially given their reasons for seeking asylum in a strange country to them. I find the work very enjoyable as I get to travel and meet various people not to mention every encounter is new and different.