Singapore management team should be ashamed - Sales Avado Employee Review

1.0
Sep 29, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Association as a Google training partner with the Squared Online digital marketing curriculum Birthday leave Relaxed dress code Exciting industry to be a part of

Cons

Employees come last in the company's list of priorities Singapore office is run by grossly under qualified & uninspired management team who are extremely dishonest and rude, and there is zero intervention by HQ in London to protect the APAC staff. Concerns raised are not responded to efficiently, and sometimes not acknowledged at all, therefore the show is run entirely by 1-2 ppl sitting in the Singapore office who have zero interest in building positive team culture, mentoring, rewarding or encouraging staff. They have spent their time trying to find ways to claw back revenue lost from the previous year by short changing their sales staff & cutting costs. 'HR' is in simple terms- unprofessional, unapproachable, and nasty to staff. They serve to protect the interests of the company only, and is not a trusted platform to confide in with personal staff matters. Totally lacks empathy & understanding when dealing with sensitive issues Management doesn't follow through on verbal commitments to staff, and had on many occasions led staff to work to incentives that were never rewarded. Certain sales staff were working to targets that were changed as the manager saw fit, with nothing in writing to support, and at the '12th hour of the quarter'- sometimes causing sales staff not to earn any commission on bookings that they should have been acknowledged for based on the current commission schemes in place. Favors certain staff members & treats others differently. So differently that the entire team is aware, and is then often affected. No direction is given to staff who need guidance Staff are micro managed and treated like children No performance appraisals or staff increases unless begged for, and even then it's 'haggled' down to the dollar Several resignations occurred in the space of a few weeks and remaining staff were told that if they didn't like it 'they knew where the exit door was'. No opportunities to grow within the company No mentorship Staff are treated differently based on how much the manager likes them, or not No consistent processes in place, or training, putting staff members in positions to essentially 'fail'. This affects client delivery and satisfaction levels, and horrible for staff confidence & morale The whole Singapore operation is a disgrace, and I wouldn't encourage anyone to ever work there. Not if they care about themselves, or their career at least.

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Avado Response
8y
Hi Really sorry you feel that way. It’s fair to say that after a bit of a false start in our Singapore operations, things have got better and better. We did have to draw in our horns a little relative to our original plans and such actions always carry some pain, however much one tries to avoid it. The team have responded brilliantly this year and our APAC business is now much better set for a period of sustained growth. Since you posted your review a few things have happened. We’ve had huge success with our SME work with the Singapore government and we’ve started to deliver for a growing number of large corporate clients. We’ve had a new head of corporate sales join the management team and she is helping the team to make more of our proposition in the market, plus has a different style of operation to that which you describe. I do recognise your criticism around a lack of visits from Head office (and vice versa), something we’re trying to address. I was out in August, our International MD in September and our CMO was out in November, and we’ve had a few people come and visit Head Office over the last few months. We do plan to make sure this continues. 2017 has been a year in which we’ve gone from having to re-set, to now feeling really positive about the future for our APAC business. This should also enable the management team to move from ‘get it done’ mode, to a more open and expansive style. They have seen this review, discussed why it might be written this way, and are acting upon it. We’re also running some team sessions to set up the right culture and values. I do think we’ll be set for an amazing 2018. Thanks for taking the time to review. Please feel free to contact me directly – you know where to find me! Best Mark O’Donoghue CEO from 1st January 2018

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5.0
Feb 20, 2019
Anonymous employee
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CEO approval
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Pros

Positive environment, great team building events, constant feedback from management to grow, relaxed vibe, fast paced

Cons

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Avado Response
6y
Thank you for taking the time to review, and sorry for the delay in responding. I must have missed this one somehow. If you feel that you need a more structured / organised environment, please speak to Niall or Marissa who will definitely be able to help you. I know the US team is close-knit but we can always improve the way we communicate within teams... If you have suggestions, please share them!
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CEO approval
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Pros

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Cons

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