Zero work life balance and zero support The good thingsThe cleaning staff are generally good people, and when treated with the respect and fairness they deserve, they perform an outstanding job.
While my overall experience at Menzies was manageable, a significant observation was a frequent lack of support from senior leadership and immediate management. As a Senior Contracts Manager, I found myself consistently performing tasks across multiple departments, including HR/recruitment (due to chronic understaffing and high turnover), administration, payroll processing, and staff training. This often left minimal time to focus on the core strategic responsibilities of the role: customer relationship management and high-level contract oversight.
The company culture is marked by a noticeable absence of proactive planning and strategic foresight. Business operations were primarily managed through a reactive approach to situations rather than implementing preventative measures.
The challengesSuccess within this organization appears to prioritize a follower mentality over independent, proactive leadership.
Despite a contract specifying 7.6 working hours per day, there is a strong, unstated expectation of 24/7 availability. Managers are positioned as the primary point of contact for all out-of-hours, weekend, and public holiday issues. This is exacerbated by a lack of forward planning in the quoting and scheduling process regarding service supervision outside standard hours. This led to routine 16-hour workdays with no compensatory payment (e.g., overtime, time in lieu).
The effectiveness of some individuals in senior positions is questionable. This raises the unfortunate observation that internal progression seems to be driven more by personal networks and connections ("who you know") than by professional competence or merit. Understanding this dynamic can help manage expectations.