Branch Manager Review

by Travis Perkins Plc

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

5.1/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Managing a branch with sales of approx £8m p.a. with 14 members of staff. Accoujntable for all sales, transport, health and safety and operational activity. Account development and customer service. Coaching and appraising the team.

5/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Developed leadership skills through insights which has helped with self awareness and how I respond to others. Developed my knwoledge on budgets and branch P&L accounts and able to make decisions based on finances.

5/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

The workshops were enjoyable at times and it was beneficial listening to other peoples thoughts and experiences around the content for different modules. Covid had a big impact on the workshops and unfortunately it wasn't the same experience over Google hangouts. There was also a lot of "ticky box" exercises with the reflective diary which seemed to take up the bulk of the workload.

4/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

The structure and organisation was great. There was a clear plan from the off and even when Covid caused a big impact on the plan the coaches and mentors still found a way to help us work our way through things.

8/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

I receive a lot of support from my line manager and the MD of my company. They often go above and beyond in supporting me in my role and do their best to look after and show they care about my welfare. Sometimes I feel the group as a whole i.e. Travis Perkins could care more about it's colleagues - it seems to prioritise money and profits over the welfare of it's employees at times.

8/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

During the first couple of months there was plenty of support but after a while I feel behind with my workload and I felt my mentor wasn't interested in helping me catch up. Fortunately for the final few months my mentor was changed and my new mentor was fantastic in helping me complete the course.

4/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Although I feel a lot of the content is relevant to the role it can sometimes be bogged down by the amount of time it takes to fill in reflective diaries. I often felt like the content didn't always shine through as we were more focused on hitting standards and checking boxes.

5/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Not enough

2/10

9a. Would you recommend Travis Perkins Plc to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Although TP can be very process heavy and often bog you down with unneccesary workload the leadership teams and family environment makes it a great place to work as you feel looked after and enjoy working with great people.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Travis Perkins Plc?

Be prepared for hard work but also enjoy being part of the family