RE: Fancy working for McLaren

RE: Fancy working for McLaren

Thursday 14th November 2019

Fancy working for McLaren?

Well, it would help if you're in the textiles industry. And you live in the north of England



Ask any sizeable firm what their most pressing issue is and they will likely say 'recruitment'. Car companies are certainly no different, it is one of the reasons why they a) employ a significant number of graduates and apprentices, and b) look to base themselves in established areas of expertise (which partly explains why the Geely design studio that will lead work on Lotus's two forthcoming SUVs is destined for the Midlands, not Norfolk).

Obviously things get even trickier when you're trying to stand-up an entire new production facility all in one go, just as McLaren is doing with its Composites Technology Centre in Sheffield. The manufacturer expects MCTC to be fully up and running next year, which will require a doubling of its current workforce.

Good news then for anyone with experience in boat-building, the textiles trade or sporting goods industries, because McLaren is keen to attract people used to working with fabric. Which is precisely what carbon fibre begins life as before it is cut and placed into the moulds that turn it into impressively strong components like the tub of a 720S.


"As we're working with advanced, lightweight materials in new ways that have never been used before on this scale for car production, McLaren is looking for a range of skills you wouldn't normally associate with the automotive industry," said McLaren's CEO, Mike Flewitt.

"We're also looking to hire apprentices and degree apprentices. The advanced technologies and processes they will be working on could one day be used in other industries to produce lighter, and therefore more efficient, vehicles which will not only help McLaren to continue to innovate, but the UK to become a global leader in composite materials expertise."

The announcement of its recruitment drive comes a year to the day since the Sheffield-based facility was officially opened, and it expects the new roles to be phased in early next year. It's not all about carbon fibre either - a quick look at McLaren's career site confirms that it is also looking to recruit staff in Energy Storage Systems, particularly those with experience of prototype builds as it starts the journey toward a proposed EV hypercar. We can think of less exciting places to work...


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Author
Discussion

Roma101

Original Poster:

835 posts

146 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Well, hopefully the candidates will be treated better than I was. I applied for a job in Woking earlier this year and other than the immediate automated acknowledgement, never heard anything from them. It was impossible to actually speak to anyone in the HR/recruitment team so I couldn't chase it up.

sc0tt

18,032 posts

200 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Was this the first job you ever applied for?

Pretty standard across the board.

The test driver

1,168 posts

158 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
This the same Mclaren that has quite the reputation for staff turn over?

Reciprocating mass

6,028 posts

240 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I worked at Woking the parking gestapo and the management couldn’t make there minds up if I was allowed to park onsite, went on for 3 months arguing with the gate staff my line manager,
In the end I couldn’t wait to get out of the place
All those story’s of eat your dinner off the floor etc
Is basically bks that all came to an end when Ron was ousted it’s just like a normal factory now over crowded crap organisation and constant lack of parts
Never again awful place

Leylandeye

550 posts

54 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
My friends son was offered a role at Woking but decided that the people who interviewed him were so intolerable that he really had better things to do with his life.

They really didn't do a good job of selling the role to him.

Employers need to realise that quality staff can pick and choose who they work for.

Raudus42

163 posts

132 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Reciprocating mass said:
I worked at Woking the parking gestapo and the management couldn’t make there minds up if I was allowed to park onsite, went on for 3 months arguing with the gate staff my line manager,
In the end I couldn’t wait to get out of the place
All those story’s of eat your dinner off the floor etc
Is basically bks that all came to an end when Ron was ousted it’s just like a normal factory now over crowded crap organisation and constant lack of parts
Never again awful place
Me and my partner went to the Ferrari Museum a couple of months ago...sat nav had us a couple of hundred metres away and I parked in a what turned out to be a staff car park. I asked a security guy at one of the office buildings directions to the museum, and asked if I need to move the car. 'No, you'll be ok there for a couple of hours...no problemo'.

E36Dan

7,543 posts

167 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Reviews on GlassDoor are very interesting for McLaren. I've got a friend who worked there, briefly, and said it was high pressure low pay, compared to other manufacturers. I think he was in the bodyshop.

Also have another friend who worked his internship there, designing grahpics, and had a very good time indeed.


Digger

14,588 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
This is going well.

Plate spinner

17,649 posts

199 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I know someone who worked in Woking for 2 years in a management position. He did not give a particularly good review of his experience...

Cyder

7,045 posts

219 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
I knew a guy who went there (Woking) as a buyer and lasted 6 weeks last year.

Said it was an awful place to work.

Limpet

6,292 posts

160 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
A role came up at Woking recently that on paper looked like a great fit for me. And it's McLaren, right? Or at least that was what got me excited.

One of the few benefits of getting older is that you build a reasonable network, so I did the usual thing and asked around before proceeding, and I can honestly say I've never had such universally negative feedback about a company before. Normally you get people who've had both good and bad experiences, but it was all horribly negative. None of the present or former employees I spoke to had a good word to say about the place. Except for one chap who said he very occasionally gets to take a press car home for a weekend if it needs some miles putting on it before it goes to a magazine for a test, people were incredibly down on the place.

Got the same story (almost to the word) from everyone. Not going to list all the failings, but the car park debacle and the hopelessly overcrowded offices which are presumably peculiar to Woking were the bits that concerned me least, frankly speaking.

Given what they do, and their brand and reputation, it should be an amazing company to work for.

Mr Whippy

28,944 posts

240 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
It sounds like one of 'those' companies doesn't it.

MMmkaaay.

vtecyo

2,122 posts

128 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Digger said:
This is going well.
hehe

s2000db

1,152 posts

152 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Looking at their product range, expect a relatively repetitive daily routine.. ;-)

deadscoob

2,263 posts

259 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Perhaps that’s why they’re looking outside the automotive sector now as their employment reputation precedes them lol

GranCab

2,902 posts

145 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Sneak preview of inside MCTC Sheffield .....


ARHarh

3,697 posts

106 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
They have had the reputation of it being a tough place to work since the 1980's, as far as I can tell it has not changed much. Went for an interview for a contract position in the mid 80's, and the guy interviewing me was leaving soon and suggested I look elsewhere. Not a good way to find staff. Could not tell if it was him getting his own back on them or if he genuinely needed to warn me.

andygo

6,786 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
Wait until it gets busy!


Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
My son did his Year 10 work placement at McLaren Woking and had a great time.

Roma101

Original Poster:

835 posts

146 months

Thursday 14th November 2019
quotequote all
sc0tt said:
Was this the first job you ever applied for?

Pretty standard across the board.
No it wasn't and not in my experience, it isn't. A lot of people have the courtesy to at least say 'thanks, but no thanks'.


Edited by Roma101 on Thursday 14th November 15:50