Working For Serco
 

Anyone got any comments good or bad on what Serco are like to work for?

Cheers

DCS

Depends what you are looking for.... if you want the biggest wage packet at the end of the month, forget it. Expect to get worked hard up to the legal limit.... But thats the same for all similar sized ATC providers. My own experience is that so long as you are a team player you will enjoy working for them. I have left the company for pastures new on more than one occasion in belief that the grass would be greener elsewhere, but have always come back older and wiser. The money may not be the best, but you get looked after in other ways, such as training for other qualifications, courses, special leave, etc etc. Plus, depending on where you are thinking of going, you get to work in some nice areas, well away from the smoke.There are opportunities for promotion and career progression if you want them as well. There may be a few people along shortly with different opinion; listen to both sides of the coin before you make up your mind. Feel free to PM me if you want any other info.

I'd be interested to see some of the responses here.

I know a whole heap of folks who've head off in that direction. Out of about 12, none have come back. Yet...
But I think it depends on what you want out of it... It must have it's problems...

They're a contractor, nothing more and nowt less.
I worked for them a long time ago, but I know many people who recently were and still are employed by Serco.
Generally the feedback from UK staff is pretty positive, they do look after you, salaries were OK and the pension scheme used to be final salary (although I'm not sure if new joiners are allowed in now).
The good thing is, that despite not having many UK contracts left, those that they do have are pretty long term (albeit mostly military based) and they need as many atcos as they can get on their books, so, as has been mentioned, they're always willing to train staff.
Additionally, if they are faced with serious competition on a contract re bid, they have the financial muscle to put you on fully paid gardening leave for a long time just to screw up the chances of someone else employing you and getting the contract - they did that at Wattisham to great success.

I suppose the other advantage that some may see, is that you are working for an organisation within which you can move on either to another of their airports (in the UK or abroad) or to another life within the company itself.

From what I can see, you either join Serco and move on outwith the company within two years or so, or you stay with them for the majority of your career.

I have worked for them a couple of times over the years (80's-90's) and thought that they were OK.

One of the best things was that they didn't hold a 'grudge' if you left, and were therefore happy for you to rejoin the company again later (which couldn't be said for all ATC providers at the time!).

As for the salary, they always seemed to pay the 'going rate'.

All-in-all, not a bad outfit.

Imperator1300

Serco have the contract here in Bahrain. The GM is a good guy and runs a good contract. The money is close to being the best available in the Gulf. There are some issues with respect to leave and rosters but in the big scheme of things I am very happy with no really BIG complaints....

not a bad company to work for, seemed quite good at training staff up to with the required courses.

only down side was that senior management seemed to change every 18 months and the hr department were bollox, but then again the last two are pretty common these days!

oh, and it was unlimited FREE BAR at the FREE social functions. Xmas, Summer and any time any top brass visited!

SERCO

• good serious Company to work for.
• Salary always on time & correct figures.
• great leave entitlement, including off days.
• a good mix of expats working together & easy to get on with.
• good training.
• very good SUP!
• contract honoured.
• & most of all, Professional all the way from Office to Line crews!
• takes good care of our families, when needed!

There have been some of our colleagues who might have had a hard time getting to grips in live traffic, but Management showed that they have a heart, & offered these guys an alternative!:D

In my opinion NOWHERE is a bed of roses, we all make decisions, & sometimes they are good decisions & sometimes these decisions do not always work out. For myself & my family, so far our experience has worked out well, both with some hard work from our side & of course with the help of the Company & colleagues!:ok:

I would definitely recommend the Company!!

And they just increased my final salary pension by 5% !!!

Whereas my NATS pension remains the same as last year.

On the beach :ok:

Of course you have to accept the ignomy of working for the outfit that run the speed cameras

Alternatively, if you support speed cameras, then you have to work for a chief exec who got caught by one doing 100+mph :hmm:

I'm not in the business of running my employer down but what kind of drugs are you on?

Enjoyed 15 years with Serco, no snags. I echo the sentiments posted above. Especially the FREE BAR at functions! :ok:

@Funk

Listen 'colleague', if you are one of those who have been shafted in the past, then I'm sorry for you. So far, this is what we have experienced, so whether you agree or not, does not make any difference to me!

You'd be surprised what kind of drugs I am on (as you put it), definitely not the BLUE Coloured ones you NEED to have daily......

Have worked for Serco in the past - no complaints, not even minor niggles. Would be happy to be in their employ again, should the opportunity arise.

PS

Not high on anything!

All these new people joining within the last month with minimal posts praising Serco..... :8

Well Scott, I`ve worked for Serco/IAL on and off since 1991 and I don`t have a bad word to say about them and judging by this thread not too many people have.
The biggest difference between them and other providers I have worked for is that they always treat you as a person and not just a resource.

I worked for them some 5 years ago, and am just expressing what I consider to be an honest opinion, nothing more, nothing less, nothing sinister. Am no longer involved in ATC, but am still interested and was pleased to stumble across this forum serendipitously a couple of weeks ago; hence new member, minimal postings.

I wonder how many NATS NSL staff are taking a bit more notice of this thread than they normally would??

I did 10 years with serco (IAL) from 1994 to 2004. My experience was a good one. Granted one or two others didn't feel the same, but we can't please everyone all the time. I'm now working for NATS again and sadly I'm deeply saddened by what's going on in the company. For years NATS considered itself the 'best', well it's not far off being second best now.

Spot on. NSL being the key word here !

Serco, Dubai metro, 4000 dirams, BE, technician???
 

Hi Friends,

I got an offer from serco for dubai metro as a technician for 4000 drms.
But am getting 23000INR in bangalore as an engineer, is it ok to join in serco.
Will i get promotion quickly.

please advice.
Appreciate your reply soon.

sankarganesh_eee

All the posts so far are written by air traffic controllers.

I have no doubt that you are highly trained as an engineer and eminantly suitable to work on the Dubai Metro, but air traffic control is a specialist skill which accordingly, attracts a much higher salary than a lot of other professions.

In the UK, Serco employ many different professions on a contract basis, but they pay the minimum that they have to according to the speciallity of the skill involved.

Serco do pay and treat Air Traffic Controllers well, but only because they have to, they wouldn't if it was not necessary to do so.

Not Good
 

Working for 5erco well its not good.
No training whatsoever. I was unable to keep the skills I brought to the company and the skills are directly related to my job..
Also no man management skills at all..
Oh and they hire and fire in the blink of an eye.
BEWARE.....

4000 dhs is not very much money to be living in Dubai on and if there is no accomodation included its not going to be much of a life.
I`ve worked for Serco/Ial for about 10 years on and off and as a controller they are the best company I`ve worked for.

I am not surprised to read the mainly positive press regarding SERCO. I know a number of ex-mil hands now managing and working there. All of them sad losses to the RAF.................

I worked for them for about 12 months and when I moved on no problems at all, very professional and amicable.

Don't even think of it......
 

PLEASE! don't waist your time.
Working on a northern contract near Bradford. Used to be good but now managers are all ex military and its run like been in the forces....
No training in 10 years
Poor health and safety or when it suits them.
No chance of promotion if not ex military.
Different rules for different people and the old time classic
"oh managers discretion" which means managers are aloud to make up rules as they see fit.. fit for them...
I had to move on 2 years ago because of constant bullying and victimisation by a manager and the best move I made
So BIG thanks Serco you did the best favour for me just feel for the others left..
truthagain

Holy thread revival, Batman.

I do hope the OP wasn't holding his breath.

Tchocky... Exactly! Not a peep for six years, then BAAMMMM!

Some people who want to know about Serco as an employer re ATC maybe don't realize Serco operates some (relatively small) contract towers in the US, Canada and the UK. Serco also operates several ACCs and Approach facilities and some towers in the Gulf, and Serco employees work in others, even though Serco is not the operator, or "ANSP" (UAE, Bahrain, Iraq). So the answer to the question "what is it like working for Serco?" has different answers depending on the location you are referring to (which wasn't mentioned by the OP).

Obviously there are significant differences between the working conditions, salary, benefits, lifestyle, etc in those very different geographic locales. As with all employers, Serco provides the salary and benefits necessary to: A. Make a profit, and B. Secure and retain staff. Which means of course that your working conditions, lifestyle and benefits are VERY different in Bagdhad than Dubai. And very different in Dubai than the UK, Canada or the U.S. And as with most employers, Serco sometimes has issues with both management and staff.

My experience is that Serco, as an employer, is not significantly better nor worse than most ATC providers globally.

Serco doesn't operate the ACC in the UAE. It has employees based there. Not the same!

Yes... I know that. That's not what I wrote. But I've added another phrase to the sentence to make it clearer for you.

If you want to discuss Serco, or have any questions about Serco, or working in ATC in the Middle East, or the Gulf, or elsewhere, PM me instead of sniping. ;)

grizz

NolongerNumber2....perhaps you should reread grizzleds post. He clearly says SERCO is not the ANSP ie Operator.:confused: