Pluspunten
Ultimately most people who work for BRE do so because of their interest in the work that it does and because it really is a unique scientific institution where you can work on things that make a meaningful difference. Also BRE is able to attract interesting and highly capable people and the organisation has far greater potential than its current state and performance indicates.
Minpunten
The way the place is managed has a great deal to be desired. There is a serious disconnect between what they say and what they do, this is a problem at all levels, starting from the CEO down, where the 'optics' and the 'story' are prioritised over effective implementation . This culture of 'fiction' affects all aspects of the business from the strategy, financial reporting, expenditure control and investment, staff progression, as well as the facilities and business plans. As a result; Staff progression appears to be based on favouritism and the generation of 'exciting future ideas' not on actual performance. There is a serious lack of focus on what activities to prioritise resulting in staff, resources and investment being spread woefully thin. Salaries and benefits vary but are generally poor for the nature of work and location. They are able to recruit high calibre talent but aren't able to retain them, this is especially true at senior levels with many high performing individuals joining but then moving on. The facilities and IT infrastructure are generally old and in a poor state of repair. Overall BRE is failing to achieve its potential and will continue to do so without decisive leadership.