office administrator

department assistant

office assistant

I worked as a Sales Consultant! A typical day at work includes you working and complete jobs from a book when manager does floor walk in the morning. I was tilled trained after 3 months, and could not do returns until after 7 months, which was shocking! You have to serve customers and tidy at the same time and if its not done on time you have to stay behind after the shift to complete the tasks assigned in the booklet. You don't get paid over time for this hence why people leave because the managers just moan when it does not get done. Hence why customers moan why sales consultants are always busy rushing around and unhelpful because we are too busy completing the tasks. 

A normal day includes checking the rota to see where you are allocated but sales co-ordinator used to hide the rota in her pocket and allocate us and make sure they was teamed up with her drinking mates, we didn't know when our breaks were, so when we would ask at the middle of the shift, she used to moan saying its our responsibly to check but then bicker, instead of photo copying the rota for each department or making it visible in one area where everyone can see. 

Those that are posting positive reviews about next are either managers or team coaches, or people who part of the gossip or Friday night drinking party who is part of the managers special battalion. I have worked in many places over the years but I honestly cannot believe the amount of gossip that goes on. All staff are really nice to your face but you can tell that they put on an act, same act as they put on when they are dealing with customers and straight away when your back in turned they are either gossiping about you or cursing you. There are only 2-3 workers who only worked like 2 days a week 7 hours a week who were really nice as they were like me only attended to complete there work and go home. 

When I initially started, they told me if I need help ask. So when I did ask the team coach known as supervisors just took the mick out of me rather than help me. I did notice that most of the people that worked there including team coaches and sales co-ordinators, sales were teenagers who cant handle a tad of pressure. I think the staff turn around says it all. The management bicker about the staffs bad points, when they cant even keep change in the tills, don't have enough hangers, stockrooms are empty so when a customer asks for a particular size we don't have it and we staff get in trouble... the list is endless. 

I got told to buy clothes from Next so i bought some clothing on uniform allowance and the next day I got searched by security and he told me that they have to check incase I didn't steal it? Even-though a manager served me...

What I learned is that unless you are not part of the managements drinking buddies, you will not go any further in the company. The head office have noticed that there is a huge turnaround in staff, the staff hate it so much, we used to get told off ever week by our regional manager who told our store manager off week in week out about endless amount of complaints were unbelievable. You get random shifts, 3 hours which are rubbish. You don't know your shift until you clock out. 

Managers started to moan when I was 5 minutes late, even though they are 10-15 minutes late it, it does not matter. They are always understaffed so they can keep track even if your 1 minute late they know! The management are really unorganised and do not appreciate your hard work! Instead they are quick to point out your flaws even though you didn't know due to lack of training when they just tell you log onto portal even though you don't understand some of it the team coaches do not go over it and instead expect you to know it all. 

Now they are trying to change it by adding shift market place, where you offer and take shifts rather than asking the managers who see it as a burden to change a shift, which is like end of the world! Plus bonus system is changing also, unless you don't give outstanding service you will not receive a bonus to encourage staff and managers to put a foot down on staff etc...I left 2 months and went to work for BOOTS Pharmacy, which is a lot chilled out, everyone gets along and its all team work! Shifts are perfect, managers are so sweet! Nothing like Next. Avoid Next unless at all costs!

When I first started at Next it was in a brand new store, 80 staff in total with around 7-10 that had moved from other stores.

Of these 80 I can count 20 at a push that are still there in under 3 years!

One thing I have learnt is that Next have a massive staff turnover percentage. But why?

Well one thing is the new 20 hour rule for part time staff, people are generally offered contracts of 4,8,10,12 hours and are allowed in any given week to do up to 20 hours if the business needs it. This means most staff are always looking for another job.

Another bad point is the sales at Christmas and in the summer, you are expected to work any shift given to you without compromise (unless you are management, I've seen managers take holidays during these, while other people get "managed" for being ill).

Another is that you don't even see Christmas. You get Christmas day off and that's it. The next time Next will give everyone boxing day off is in 2021 when it next falls on a sunday.

If you happen to find another part time job and fit it in around your Next hours you are expected to still work at Next whenever they require at sale times. So if on Christmas Eve you are in your other job until 2pm but Next rota you in at 1pm, you are expected to be there. Or you will be fired.

People also generally leave because of the way we are blamed for stockloss and other problems. Next have a high stockloss, they have no or few security cameras in stores, most of which are watching staff on the tills and they never have enough staff to cover the floor areas which see the highest rates of stockloss. Yet they blame the staff anyway (for not keping a good enough eye) and not the management for not having enough staff.

The "bonus" scheme is a bit of a con at times, when you join you are told wonderful stories about hundreds of pounds of bonuses every few months. this has happened to me twice in almost 3 years. Alot of the time, the store doesn't hit it's targets at a high enough percentage to push the bonus up. One staff member got about £2.50, another about £7.

To achieve a large bonus you need to work in a huge store like Manchester Arndale (the biggest in the UK).

Management attitudes towards staff also leave a lot t be desired. Some are great and will do anything for you, the rest, well they ignore you as much as they have to, unless you do something wrong. They treat you as "a body" rather than a person, unless they want you to stay longer or do an extra shift, in which case they are all over you like a nasty rash.

Basically. Don't work here.

have worked at next for past 3 years and i love it started when i was 16 and was the youngest member of staff they'd ever had in my store, it was really nice because i felt like everybody was looking after me because i was the 'baby' started on a 6 hour contract just doing sundays while I was in college, but the store manager was always really good about giving me plenty of overtime when i wanted it in the holidays but was always really considerate and made sure i didn't have and upcoming exams/revision that should be coming ahead of work. In 2012 i went on a planned expedition with a company to Africa for one month, i knew about this when i started and was aware that i was not allowed to take longer than two weeks holiday in normal circumstances so said that i would hand in my notice, however the management were really understanding and let me take the whole month without leaving so that i wouldn't lose my benefits such as any holiday that i had accrued and my eligibility to recideve bonus. In october 2013 they offered me a full time position on childreswear which i took and recently i have been promoted to sales coordinator, (one of the youngest in the company with pretty niceeee pay) I can't believe how many negative reviews I've read on here because i genuinely love working for next my managers are so supportive and lovely and i know i can talk to them about everything, the staff are great as well we are like a family always going out for drinks etc. To be honest the people with negative reviews on here sound very childish and you need to understand that Next is a company with rules that must be followed, it says that in your contract that you sign and the handbook, managers giving disciplinarys about non attendance at christmas etc are often following the directive of HR and it is not their decision but the companies, if you guys stuck around long enough and actually tried to be good at your jobs then you would realise this. Also you take a job in retail then realise some of it is mind numbingly boring but if you prove yourselves at the iffy bits then you get asked to do better things. also you work in retail obviously you will be working christmas eve and boxing day if you think you won't be then you're just stupid.

Normally I would be in charge of the delivery team as i am one of the most experienced workers there working towards becoming a senior sales. I would have to train new workers and demonstrate how particular tasks are carried out. This means I will be responsible for their performance as well as making sure they are given the correct knowledge about what to do without any assistance.

During my time at Next I have learnt so much and developed in so many ways. I have learnt to be more confident and to provide input on what processes work better. I have developed my negotiation skills as well as my presentation and arrangement abilities. Communication is a major part of all jobs and this is something which I have mastered throughout working here.

I think it is equally important to build relationships with managers and workers and to overcome any problems and issues you may have, to make it a more fun, enjoyable and conformable working environment which I have done. This is one of the reasons to why I enjoy going to work and which helps me get up in the morning. The stockroom team must work together to meet targets which means you may have to work with each other as well as on your own. This has been easier as I get along with everyone I work with.

The hardest part of the job is all the manual work which includes moving pallets and tubs which sometimes causes injuries as well as body pains however, working as a team and being able to socialise make working at next enjoyable.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Some staff are great. Nice customer interaction. Always something to do. Can try working in different areas.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Disorganised and never enough staff to do a good job, everything is done in a rushed and slap dash manner. Management changes your contracted working hours nearly every week without asking if you are able to work those hours and then you have to try to arrange someone to cover your shift. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is a very cliquey company to the point of unprofessional. Branch had a work social whats app but only certain people were invited or even informed about it. Staff of all levels talking badly about other staff members, bulling. Some nice members of staff but there was no overall team spirit. Very high staff turn over. Definitely a two tier company, seem to look after management very well, lots of perks and rewards disproportionate to anything offered to other staff.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Never know what to expect. Could be put on any department when you start the day and normally move around during the day which is a good thing so there is variety. Depending on if you have enough staff, you can either could get stuck into a job but often not enough staff so just rushed and not able to help customers enough or complete jobs properly.

This organisation, particularly the FCA team has a deeply unhealthy culture that prioritises management comfort over employee wellbeing.

There is clear favouritism, poor leadership, and a pattern of staff leaving due to management behaviour that HR consistently fails to address. Concerns raised about management are not handled constructively, and employees who speak up often find themselves marginalised rather than supported.

The workplace environment is emotionally draining, with bullying behaviours being normalised or overlooked. There is no union representation, leaving employees without meaningful protection or advocacy when issues arise something prospective candidates should consider carefully.

Professional development is not genuinely supported. Managers have been known to respond negatively when employees pursue external opportunities, creating an atmosphere of insecurity rather than encouragement. Instead of professionalism, there is gossip and inappropriate discussion about staff, which undermines trust and morale.

The pay does not reflect the demands or stress of the role, and the overall experience can have a lasting negative impact on mental wellbeing.

If you are seeking a respectful, supportive, and accountable workplace, this is not it  especially within this department.

A typical day commences on the shop floor with a floor walk, which enables me to walk around the whole floor and note down any jobs that my team can be doing throughout the day. Next is usually a team talk in which I notify my team of our daily targets, ensure that they know what department they are working on and inform them of the jobs which need to be completed.
I will usually stay on the floor for most of the morning, engaging in the general sales assistant tasks such as customer service (which is our number one priority) and till/fitting room service
Afternoons tend to vary from day to day, depending what we have on; some days I will be in the office performing admin tasks, others I could be in the stockroom scanning our stock or sometimes I could spend my whole day on the shop floor. 
I am always on hand if any member of staff needs assistance and constantly ensuring that their training is fully up to date so that they are confident within their role. 
	As sales coordinator, I have learnt that not every day will be the same, some days will be easier than others, but this does not matter because regardless of how busy or quiet we are, customer service should always be our number one priority because if customers are happy, we are not only happy as individuals or as a store, but also as a company. Therefore, customer satisfaction is crucial to our success.

I was recently employed by Next as an Office Asst. It all sounded good (aside from the minimum wage!). Unfortunately for my first week and a half I was stuck in the stockroom sorting all the catalogue returns which - it turns out - is part of the 'admin' role and involved lugging around very large heavy crates and getting dirty. For the two months I was there I spent more time doing a stockroom role rather than an admin role. Where was this in the job description? I clocked in late by one minute on 3 occasions (this not taking into account that you have to stand outside the shop for around 5 mins for someone to let you in as I started before the shop opens) being late on 3 occasions triggers off a warning system where you get reprimanded. I was also not told that despite the fact I quite often worked 30 mins longer than my shift required me to I would not get paid for it. The clocking in/out system only notices if you clock in late or out early, so it's all for one and none for all. Hence I left after just 2 months. Upon speaking to other staff, most were disgruntled with the company, and were very wary of management. All in all a very selfish company to work for and I would not recommend this position to anyone.

During the induction process, you felt looked after and appreciated. Then you discover most of the information you were given were straight up lies.

They changed my shifts twice while working here. While being off sick with a major life changing injury, they only got in touch with me to tell me i didn't have enough "points" for the shifts i wanted. They then put me on a part time after doing 4-5 12 hour shifts a week. 

You are not a person here. You are a disposable would be robot . Not only that, the amount of politics was overwhelming. I've never once had a job where people would ignore you simply because it hinders their agenda to become manager.

Managers would commonly sit around, laughing and joking, while  you are told that anytime spent not working is "bonus fraud" 

You WILL have to fill out bonus sheets. That bonus depends on your performance yet certain jobs require different levels of performance. Picking without an ergo? you wont get any bonus. Packing? get enough out and you're earning an extra few hundred a month. That depends on what job you get put on though and the managers decide that at the beginning of the day.

I do not recommend working at NEXT PLC. 

A typical day at next is basically just giving excellent customer service and making sure that all stock is accounted for and in the correct places so that we can get the best sales and meet budget every day.
My jobs include making sure that the stockroom is tidy and in order so that we can find all stock easily with no problems, I also have different responsibilities on the shop floor including tidying the stock and service customers as well as marking down all of the best sellers and working out the space needed for each product group. 
Its a fairly young store so there are a lot of personality clashes, where as I try to keep myself on every bodies good books even if there is a difference of opinion.
The management staff are very helpful and always want the best for their staff.   
When the store is quiet and all the jobs have been completed makes it hard to keep motivation hard. I always find it the hardest time of the day when this happens so I like to keep myself busy with whatever I can find so that whenever customers come in to the store I'm still motivated and enthusiastic.
The most enjoyable part of my day is when I get to interact with customers and make sure that they have a really enjoyable experience and so that they come back again.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Office administrator 25 salaries reported	$45,934 per year
Department assistant 25 salaries reported	$45,934 per year
Office assistant 1 salary reported	$45,934 per year

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