Capita... Working for them.

[KAgantua]

Got an interview with them working in their managed IT services arm, in Service Delivery.

Given all the bad press about them at the moment, I am somewhat wary as to their long term viability. (Profit warnings etc.)
Worst case, I will just use the interview to brush up on my interview technique etc.

Does anyone work for Capita and can share any insight?
Cautionary tales etc... thanks.

[Hughesie]

I do but in another division.

I'd be asking at Interview what Jonathan Lewis intends to do with the division you are looking to join as some will not be a core focus division moving forwards and those re likely to be sold off.

Solid company and i enjoy working for them, they are in a very different position to Carillion.

[Nigel_O]

I used to work for Capita Financial Software, so I have a passing interest in what happens to them

Has there been any clarification on the divisions that are classed as "non-core" and thus at risk of being sold off?

[Hughesie]

Nigel_O said:

I used to work for Capita Financial Software, so I have a passing interest in what happens to them

Has there been any clarification on the divisions that are classed as "non-core" and thus at risk of being sold off?

Not yet but we are getting SLT update regular as clockwork at the moment.

[Vaud]

Don't touch with a bargepole. HTH.

Use for interview experience only.

[StanleyT]

Had a friend whom worked for Foster Wheeler. Got a bit more details about John Lewis from them.

Basically Amec bought Foster Wheeler for £2bn. Bankrupted Amec (Foster Wheeler). Fosters were worth £1.9bn at the time the compaies were combined (2014?). So there was a ~£4bn cpompany with £1bn debt from the merger. Old CE /CEO got the boot. John Lewis came in as a "turnaround" specialist. Sold most of the company (apart from that the compo and mergers wouldn't allow) to Woods for about £2bn (joke, buy one Amec get a Foster Wheeler for free).

During the year of sale, most divisions were up for sale / assest stripping / keeping. The nuclear business was going to get sold, wasn't, half of it was, oil and gas was getting sold, was staying, onshore oil and gas getting sold, not getting sold. (all in Competition and Markets data).

His sole noticable act to employees was setting up an "Ask Jon" portal on the website, which listed Qs asked each week by employees, usually answered by "that is commercial and there are many variables which we haven't evaluated so we haven't an answer for you".

Mate reckoned (after a lifetime at Amec) the company had has the worst of British managers until a Lebanese Back to the 80s car fan ran the place for ten years, the JL came in and failed to live up to anyones lowest expectations....

So as with any exec now called Phil Green, the name John Lewis may also be on the list? (As a "turnaround specialist which usually translate to asset stripper which don't bode well, my mate is well bitter).

[ben5575]

swerni said:

There’s a reason people refer to it as “crapita”

+1 beat me to it.

[tdm34]

My late wife worked for them for three years, and hated every second.

[Ynox]

Friend of mine lasted < 1 year.

+1 to crapita.

[Vaud]

swerni said:

Vaud said:

Don't touch with a bargepole. HTH.

Use for interview experience only.

There’s a reason people refer to it as “crapita”

Indeed. They are very good at selling a vision to employees.

They are in serious, serious trouble with a valuation of 1/4 of revenue, have recently lost their anchor contract with the Prudential and their long term viability is in very serious question. They will continue to lose contracts as they reach their end.

I can think of no positives of considering working there.

They did have one good company, a package of contact centres in Leeds/Doncaster region with a really good management team but they acquired them and then got rid of all the good people.