Countrywide is hiring – and this image appeared yesterday on Twitter.
Given the apparent number of departures over the last 18 months or so, it might be surprising, but the link takes you to a job description for a “retail” director.
The job description says: “Due to a recent change in our structure Countrywide have a rare and exciting opportunity for a Retail Director to join the UK`s leading Property Services Company. This role will be covering our London region of Bairstow Eves and Mann on both sides of Estate Agency and Residential Lettings, overseeing 9 Regional Directors.”
Countrywide’s advert goes on to explain:
“The Role
“Comprised of our Estate Agency Sales and Residential Lettings teams across the UK (outside of London), the UK Retail team are responsible for delivering front line service excellence and consistency of operational approach across the UK Retail Business, understanding and connecting our entire portfolio of services in order to delight each and every customer and generating maximum value for the Countrywide Group.
“The Retail Director will be primarily responsible for the delivery of performance against metrics such as customer, financial and people across all offices in London Bairstow Eves & Mann, through a team of Regional Managers who oversee the sales and lettings branch network.
“Driving a Customer Centric “One Countrywide” culture, the Retail Director will be responsible for driving maximum group value, by connecting Countrywide`s customers to our entire portfolio of services.
“The Retail Director will also be responsible for supporting the Divisional Managing Director in delivering the Building our Future plan for their region.”
https://www.countrywidecareers.co.uk/job/16444
Comments (15)
Looks like another tough day with the share price.
Perhaps we could all chuck in a pot and buy a majority shareholding….. then bring the ‘ independent entrepreneurship’ to the business that will resurrect its fortunes.
And it keeps dropping, lets see if they are booted out of the 250 by end of today.
chairman@countrywide.co.uk -certainly got a few questions to answer to some very unhappy investors presiding over the disruptions and SP cliffall .I have sent a couple of emails without reply or acknowledgement .Clearly unapproachable
I just read the full job spec. There is not a single mention of experience in estate agency being a requirement or even desirable.
They might just as well have said ‘Don’t bother applying if you have ever been within a sniff of an estate agency’.
The line that really gets me is this:
Personal and authentic – you will create your own personal brand, being approachable to customers and colleagues alike, with a strong sense of humility.
Create your own personal brand? Yeah, right. And the moment that ‘personal brand’ conflicts with the Master Plan you will be out of the door quicker than you can say ‘I am pursuing an exciting new opportunity’.
https://www.countrywidecareers.co.uk/my-account/vacancyView.php?requirementId=16444&source=TWT
Latest odds from PaddyPower say the chances of surviving the probation period are slim at a meagre 4/7, while BetFred has actually stopped taking bets on their “11/1 for being at the company less than a year” offer.
Bet365 is paying out on its “wouldn’t touch this with a barge-pole” offer where optimistic punters put a solid 4/1 speculative bet on earlier this year.
What about a couple of monkeys on an across the card double with Bricks at double carpet that both will be in existence in current form after 2 years Bets voided if BODS found “doped”
I have read that demotion from the footsie 250 is a possibility. LSL/ Yourmove are seen as a sound investment in the sector. Although Yourmove aren’t particularly prolific where I see them they are at least run by estate agents in the main although the Ceo is to leave imminently. The fact that Jeffries appear to be supportive of them as opposed to Countrywide, when they were instrumental in their float, appears to be a damning indictment of the direction Countrywide are moving in. If Mrs Platt has any hope to rescue the situation, she must enagage with the remaining few who ‘do the business’ and take with the proverbial ‘pinch of salt’ any proposals of Ms Tyrer who appears massively out of her depth and the sycophants that are just clinging onto a job until something else comes along. Countrywide and the property industry is not BA, BUPA, Carphone Warehouse or the late lamented HMV. Although there are comparisons of the latter becoming increasingly apparent.
Best off posting the job on a supermarket stores forum, surely?
They obviously do not want somebody with estate agency experience.
Yes you can almost see the sentence “candidates with previous industry experience need not apply”
That said I did work in a sweetshop once, not sure shelf stacking experience as a 12 year old will be much help either !
After shelling out millions on buying exemplar brands and quality individuals you would have thought that an individual within is capable of being promoted and stepping up to the plate and meeting the challenge for this important role What sort of message does it send to senior staff that with an increasing wave of redundancies they are looking for expertise from outside the company to dictate affairs
If my sources are to be believed I think the issue is that too many of the good people are leaving as they can see what’s on the cards and the ones that remain have far too much estate agency experience and not enough retail experience.
‘in order to delight each and every customer’.
I think I just got a little bit of sick in my mouth.
A temporary post perhaps?
I think you need a guaranteed contract length on this one, so you can weigh up the risks versus rewards….and why do they never list a salary.