It’s no secret that candidates can often be put off working in the retail industry due to the plethora of myths that surround the sector. A career at a home improvement retailer can be a rewarding, challenging and fulfilling experience and we are set on proving the myths that are holding the industry back aren’t all true.
To set the record straight, we’ve brought together the five most common home improvement retailer myths to show just what Wickes is doing to bust them!
Poor work-life balance
Wellbeing and support are at the heart of everything we do for our Colleagues at Wickes.
We believe that being together drives collaboration, builds strong relationships, supports development and performance and enables everyone to experience and contribute to our winning culture.
However, we also realise that all our colleagues are individuals with different needs, priorities and goals. We recognise that working flexibly is important for all of our colleagues to be effective, productive and achieve a healthy work life balance. We may not have all the answers yet but whether you are working as an HR business partner in our support centre, or a manager in one of our stores or distribution centres, we are committed to supporting our people's needs and creating a flexible working environment for everyone.
Lack of career progression opportunities
One of the key myths about working in a home improvement retailer is that you are limited to a small pool of career opportunities. Career progression is incredibly important to us, and we offer a wide range of career paths for our colleagues. Wickes is open to supporting their colleagues in whichever career paths you choose. Our career options are not limited, nor are they linear and you have the opportunity to make your career path your own.
The apprenticeships at Wickes, traineeships, graduate positions and more provide a great opportunity to progress your career and we’ll provide you with training and support to broaden your skillset.
An apprenticeship is an excellent way to gain real-world work experience whilst also gaining a range of qualifications along the way. Once you’ve completed an apprenticeship, the opportunities for progress will be endless and your career in retail can flourish.
We also have a range of leadership programmes and summer schools designed to help you build your career and achieve all of your professional goals.
Not an inclusive environment
Over the years, a range of home improvement retailers have built a reputation of having a lack of diversity and not doing enough to promote an inclusive culture in stores. Here at Wickes, we are proud of the work we have done to ensure that all of our stores are an environment where people from all walks of life can feel at home..
When you join Wickes, the first thing you’ll discover is that everyone works as a team, helps each other and accepts everyone for who they are. We promote an inclusive workforce culture, celebrate our colleagues and work towards making our teams truly diverse because we know it makes us the best we can be.
We know that it takes listening to new perspectives, ideas and experiences to accelerate growth and help each other be the best versions of our authentic selves. Our differences make us who we are. Our work has been driven by passionate colleagues who want to build an inclusive place for everyone - whether they work with us or shop with us, we are not doing it alone. To get a deeper understanding, we are partnering with our industry to encourage change and start conversations. We're always curious as to how we can do better, and know it's the right thing to do.
Lack of benefits
The final home improvement retailer myth that we are here to bust is that colleagues are not offered access to benefits schemes that we see in other industries. With Wickes, you have access to a range of flexible benefits, including a Cycle to Work programme, life insurance policies, and a health cash plan. We take great pride in paying meticulous attention to our colleagues’ well-being and we provide a range of health and welfare benefits such as access to parental support and an employee assistance programme. Although benefits depend on the role within Wickes, additional benefits include:
-
Holiday allowance of around 25 days per year, which increases the longer you’re with us
-
Performance-related bonus
-
Contributory pension scheme
-
Sizeable staff discount
-
Colleague recognition plans
Have you considered a career at Wickes?
We are a modern home improvement business with a unique, engaging culture and passionate colleagues who are committed to growing responsibly, supporting people, the environment and homes. If you’re looking to embark on a rewarding career at a leading UK retailer, then Wickes is the place for you.
Find out more about life with Wickes, or browse our available Head Office jobs or Store Operations roles today.
