Pros
Meet new people, convenient location (dependent on where you're living), extensive training programme.
Kontras
When I was recruited, I was told I'd be working on social media for First Source's new Disney Life app contract. I have a degree in journalism, I've completed social media courses with the BBC and with independent training providers and I manage social media on a self-employed basis in my spare time, so this was ideal for me. However, when I began the role it became apparent that there would be no social media involved; they did have a team specialising in social media, but I wasn't on it. I was told this was because they had only taken internal candidates who'd already undertaken basic training in the Disney Life app (however, the app hadn't even launched yet so I would question how much experience this team had at this stage). In any case, I should have been told that I wasn't going to be on this team as I wouldn't have taken the job had I known this was the case. Then came the second surprise. We had been told we'd be working five 8 hour shifts per week. No - in fact it would be three 11 hour shifts and two 5 hour shifts. This was the final straw for me and I handed in my notice upon discovering that I had been misinformed about the job description AND the working hours. I was in a brand new job several days later, doing something which I actually love (social media, believe it or not!) and working hours that suited me - do not settle for working for First Source, you are so much better than that! Then, came the issues with trying to obtain my final salary payment, which by law is entitled to me. I should've been paid on 23rd December but wasn't. I contacted Payroll and they hadn't received any data on my working hours from the Cardiff office. So, they told me this would be sorted by 7th December and I would be paid. It is now 7th December and I still have not been paid. Having contacted Payroll, I have been told that this is because someone made an error when inputting my bank details into their payroll system. This has now been rectified and I hope to be paid today or tomorrow (but I'll believe that when I see it!) I am on the verge of seeking legal advice. There is a clear divide between the staff who work for First Source's Sky contract and those who work for the Disney contract. Someone else who started at the same time as me, but for Sky, told me that she had witnessed an aggressive argument on the sales floor between a male and female member of staff, in full view of other staff members. This doesn't surprise me - I've read previous comments on Glassdoor that likened First Source to a young offenders institute, and I couldn't agree more - at least for the large majority of the Sky workforce. A lot of the Sky staff whom I encountered were rude and unfriendly eg. you hold a door open for them, they just walk through and give you a stinking look. I can't imagine having to work with people like that day in and day out, and I am so glad I made the move. I lasted a week and one day in total, which is actually a big achievement if you ask me, given the experience I had with First Source. Don't work here unless you have no desire to ever do well in your career and are quite happy to work in a job where you are not in the slightest bit valued or cared about by management. They will tell you you've come to the right place for progression and that the Disney side of the business 'isn't your average call centre'. Don't believe any of it. Get out of there as soon as possible and stop kidding yourself that this job will ever lead anywhere positive for you! Poor pay (£14,996 approx a year for 40 hours/week work) When I left a HR officer also tried telling me I wasn't entitled to my one weeks notice pay despite offering to work my one weeks notice, to which I practically laughed and told them they are completely in the wrong. I urged them to double check and when they did, they told me I was right and this has now been included on my payslip. The HR team don't seem to have a clue about employment law.
