topic Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced in Plusnet Feedback

BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 07:30:48 GMT

BTOR have launched a massive recruitment campaign - http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/6467-1-600-new-jobs-to-be-created-at-openreach.html
Finally an admission that they are not fit for purpose and that the not so long ago redundancy programme was a big mistake. When a minion makes a balls-up they get fired - time to resign Joe?

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

pjmarsh — Tue, 20 May 2014 07:37:52 GMT

It's not actually an admission that they are under resourced (though everyone else seems to know it!). They could easily argue that it is to meet the demand for the future as they enable more exchanges or they are planning something else for the future that will need more engineers. I'm sure this will more be heralded as a "look at me and all the jobs I'm creating" than any kind of U-turn.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

x47c — Tue, 20 May 2014 07:43:23 GMT

Quote from: Townman
BTOR have launched a massive recruitment campaign - http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/6467-1-600-new-jobs-to-be-created-at-openreach.html
Finally an admission that they are not fit for purpose and that the not so long ago redundancy programme was a big mistake. When a minion makes a balls-up they get fired - time to resign Joe?

Well since Joe Garner was only appointed CEO of BTOR in February - asking him to resign just after him announcing additional staff as one of his first public facing announcements really is a bit silly.
Edit:
I do however object as a professional Chartered engineer to his description of his staff as engineers - no they are technicians.
And his stated desire to recruit women into the job - clearly this is sex discrimination.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 07:54:59 GMT

X47c,
Thanks for the added detail of Joe's background, yes given that my statement was silly. I must have missed the news that BTOR had a new leader. 3 months in and a public statement of how things are going to be improved - add 7% to the engineering workforce - is quite good going.
Now if only BT CEOs who have been in post 5+ months could be as forth coming about their plans for delivering a better customer experience.
In reading around the BTOR news I learnt of BTOR's (but it might be BT as a whole) fast-track programme of whizing high grade graduates around the organisation over a 3 year programme with the expectation that they'll be fit to manage anything anywhere. Anyone with real experience knows that does not work.
PS: I whole heartedly agree with your edit - it seems that there is an element of window dressing here, above getting people with the rights skills on the ground. Technicians or mechanic would be a better name. I also looked at the renumeration £8 per hour, does not buy a lot of skills!

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 08:32:18 GMT

Quote from: pjmarsh
I'm sure this will more be heralded as a "look at me and all the jobs I'm creating" than any kind of U-turn.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then its a duck.
Given the recent history of job cuts and pushing jobs out to contractors, if recruiting an additional 8% of your current workforce is not a U turn, I don't know what is.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

itsme — Tue, 20 May 2014 08:49:14 GMT

The largest problem that BT have is that conditions of employment for a large proportion of their workforce is still linked to when they were part of the civil service. Over the years they have been able to whittle down some of the benefits but I believe they are still giving they workforce some form of final salary pension. Any employment of contractors or agency workers need the approval of the union and it seem that the conditions of employment for these new positions also need the approval of the union so I assume that the benefits are going to be less than the existing workforce.

Quote
*The precise package we offer you will be determined by your skills, experience and the vacancies available locally. We are still in discussions with the Communications Workers Union on the final terms and conditions for the roles and therefore some of the above terms may alter. We’ll let you have full terms and conditions at an appropriate point. Openreach is an equal opportunities company.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:10:50 GMT

@OldJim,
This was deliberately placed in the support forum so that (amongst other things) people complaining about problems and delays over installation and repairs would see that BTOR admit they are significantly under resourced.
Placing this in the chit chat forum has removed such visibility as people with issues don't bother reading Chit Chat!
Kevin

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Oldjim — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:11:57 GMT

it was moved at staff request

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:18:26 GMT

Ah say no more - implied criticism of BT CEOs a bit uncomfortable?
There is an easy answer to that - do or say something positive rather than remain invisible and silent.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Oldjim — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:21:11 GMT

Nope - the reason given was that it wasn't a support request not that it was uncomfortable

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Chris — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:21:36 GMT

Not at all, I didn't even know this thread was here until I went and had a look through reported posts. Personally I would have suggested it'd be better in Feedback or Other Queries.

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Oldjim — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:24:15 GMT

Oh well - we all get it wrong sometimes - To Feedback it goes
I will fiddle with the other link as well to tidy it up

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Townman — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:36:37 GMT

Cheers Chris,
Thank you for a personal response. You know well my frustration / concern over the lack of traction on BTOR has on the capacity of ISPs to deliver excellence. Sometimes I rather think of the DCT as the little Dutch boy with his finger poked in the dyke as the only thing preventing a total disaster.
Kevin

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

Oldjim — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:46:33 GMT

If we are really lucky they will use the increase in numbers to get rid of Kelly
A friend had a Kelly technician turn up to install Fibre where the order specifically stated that they would need to relocate the master socket which is in the roof.
Oh dear he said, sucks teeth, I only have a 7 metre extension so can't help. Booked three hour duration turned into about 15 minutes
Before anyone jumps up and blames Plusnet - he is with TalkTalk
Edit - he didn't really suck his teeth
Second Edit after an upset reported post Kelly refers to Kelly Communications not our own Kelly

Re: BTOR admit they are under resourced

glloyd — Tue, 20 May 2014 10:01:07 GMT

What I fail to understand it why BTO has to get permission from the EU to implement improvements. What on earth has it got to do with the EU?