Some positives but the reality doesn't match the shiny FTSE100 image
Pros
Great approach to CSR - employees can take 3 days paid leave in addition to standard annual leave to help volunteer at an organisation close to their own heart. Offices are generally great buildings and well maintained with decent break-out areas and free tea and coffee. Change-oriented organisation means that things don't get too stale. Generally speaking, all my colleagues were a great bunch and off-site events were usually a lot of fun and not an excuse for death by PowerPoint. Fab pension - matched contributions to 8%, plus an additional 2% paid on top by Sage. Share save scheme (which appears to have been pulled) made me a decent amount of money - almost made up for the lacklustre salary!
Cons
Whilst some of the benefits are good, the salary was uncompetitive and there was zero scope to talk about this which was very demoralising. Sage's internal rules around salary increases are laughable should you move to a new role - there's a cap on the maximum percentage increase you can have meaning you can trail colleagues doing the same job if you've come via an internal transfer. Again very demoralising to be doing the same job as someone else with the same targets, performing at the same level but earning a different amount. No focus on talent - it's paid lip-service but the systems in place are poor and managers are interested in short-sighted targets rather than developing people. There should be a lot of scope to move around the business given the broad remit of (mostly) competitive products and services that Sage offers, but the reality is that you are not supported to further your career if it takes you to a different part of the business than where you are currently working.
