Branch Manager Review
at Screwfix
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Retail Manager
Birmingham
Review Submitted: April 2025
Overall Rating
1.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
2/5
-
Overview of Role
1/5
-
Skills Development
1.6/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
Running of a store
Payroll / Managing service / Rostering / Sales / Admin / Customer resolutions / Health and Saftey
Payroll / Managing service / Rostering / Sales / Admin / Customer resolutions / Health and Saftey
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
1/5
Being expected to do a course while already doing the job to just tick a box was insulting. Especially when I had external mangers coming to me for support advice when they were getting paid much more than me stepping up was a joke.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
1/5
Not really, I knew how to do the job before I was made to go on the course. I had been a manager for a long time at different levels before going on the course.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
I had to wait a year to start the course before I was assigned a trainer. Then having the first 80% of the course being really simple and not really filled with valuable information or in some cases incorrect/outdated information just to have the last 20% be actual stuff that would help someone.
Also the online webinars are so frustrating, You are tasked with completing loads of pre work without any help or guidance just to sit on an hour long call to have someone explain what you've just spent a week teaching yourself. It seems backwards and frankly a pointless exercise.
My mentor was meant to give regular feedback on how I was doing on the course, I haven't worked with him in over a year now due to having my own store and us both running busy stores means it hard to get time to go visit each other.
Also the online webinars are so frustrating, You are tasked with completing loads of pre work without any help or guidance just to sit on an hour long call to have someone explain what you've just spent a week teaching yourself. It seems backwards and frankly a pointless exercise.
My mentor was meant to give regular feedback on how I was doing on the course, I haven't worked with him in over a year now due to having my own store and us both running busy stores means it hard to get time to go visit each other.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
1/5
None, we are told we can back fill hours to get the course work done but if you are in a store where no one wants the over times or you have to use those hours to complete tasks like getting delivery away due to someone phoning sick you end up doing the work on shift around your in store tasks or doing it in your own time at home.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
I mean he was a great guy that helped me deal with store issues and gave me advice on stuff that wasn't really related to the course.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
It hasn't, if anything it added unnecessary stress to a job I was already capable of doing but having the pressure of doing tasks on a deadline that I was gaining no knowledge from was a waste of my time that could of been spent coaching my team/ Driving sales or improving warehouse standards
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
2/5
We have a yearly conference buts that's it
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Screwfix to a friend?
No
Why?
Hours have been cut and expectations/tasks have been increased. I am expected to grow the store with less and less hours meaning if we have sickness or holiday I am working 6 days just to keep the store open or we are all running around to keep our heads above water.
Branch manger pay is stagnant 2% yearly increase is below inflation yet again (same last year) The company like to tell us that they regularly check the market and are happy with us being below the market average.
I work twice as hard as an external manager because I have more knowledge then them on Screwfix Process / Managing a team, I am running a successful store that is performing well and I am also doing a 2 year course but because they are external they get paid more than I do sometimes by a fair bit. Its beyond insulting
Branch manger pay is stagnant 2% yearly increase is below inflation yet again (same last year) The company like to tell us that they regularly check the market and are happy with us being below the market average.
I work twice as hard as an external manager because I have more knowledge then them on Screwfix Process / Managing a team, I am running a successful store that is performing well and I am also doing a 2 year course but because they are external they get paid more than I do sometimes by a fair bit. Its beyond insulting
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Screwfix?
Do it, if you come in at the right level you wont have to do a course and get paid more money than you probably should
