Virgin Active reviews

3.4

53% would recommend to a friend

(1,226 total reviews)

Dean Kowarski

55% approve of CEO

40% positive business outlook

Virgin Active has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,226 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Virgin Active employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Servizi personali per i consumatori industry (3.3 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews
5.0
Apr 7, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company has a great approach to fitness, it's all about making the gym environment fun for staff and members alike. As an employee you are recognised and rewarded for your efforts and achievements. This is a lovely bonus on top of getting to do what you love doing on a day to day basis. The job I do is highly rewarding! The clubs I have worked in are like families and there is a great team spirit between us all. Our Regional Managers care about us and provide lots of support. I have developed myself as a Personal Trainer and Manager / Coach by having strong role models and passionate people around me making my work life so enjoyable! If you have a great personality, love what you do and are willing to work hard then you should apply to work for Virgin Active.

Cons

Some member facing situations can be challenging but for me they are great because they make me better at what I do. When you are able to help a member or add value to their fitness journey, it really makes it all worthwhile!

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Virgin Active Response
9y
This is such an amazing review, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences! You really have a great set up in Chiswick and are providing great service to our members. We're in a fortunate position to be able to really help people, so thank you for your hard work & passion in making this happen and bringing it to life through your team. Keep living the dream! Jeanette
2.0
Mar 28, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great working environment and a company you used to be proud to work for.

Cons

The company has recently agreed a sale of a selection of clubs to David Lloyds. Although this is just business, I am disappointed with how the company which is synonymous with a great working environment can just cut its employees off. The sale was agreed on 8th of Feb and the hand over date isn't till June however there is very little structure or availability of regional direction within the business. All incentives ran in the company seem to exclude the clubs that have been agreed to be sold. This company has been a great employer to me for 6 years but it's disgusting how it's can cut all ties with the selected clubs even though the transfer date isn't till summer. It's almost as if on the outside Virgin ACTIVE is all singing all dancing but scratch the surface and it's just a bog standard business with very little morals and workplace ethics.

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Virgin Active Response
9y
Thank you for your review. It’s great to hear that you enjoy the working environment; it’s something we get a lot of great feedback about. We have made some changes in the last year and this has meant a reduction in the size of the business. This has been a strategical decision and an important step in our strategy to focus on developing and operating sites in metropolitan and commuter hubs in the UK. It’s really sad to see great people leave the Virgin Active family, but all club staff will transfer over and we believe they will find a good home with David Lloyd Clubs. We’re working really hard with the teams at David Lloyd to ensure a smooth transition and to get it right can mean a lengthy process. I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed the 6 years you’ve had with us and I’m sorry to hear your current feelings. We hope that once everything goes through in the coming months, you’ll find a great home at David Lloyd and we at Virgin Active will continue to thrive. All the best, Jeanette.
1.0
Nov 26, 2016

A company which squeezes

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get to wear uniform featuring the iconic "Virgin" group name, second to none training, policies which keep you and the company safe!

Cons

The company will squeeze as much out of the clubs as possible due increasing budgets to near impossible reach keeping the shareholders and board paid, thus staff are left working harder with very little benefits.

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Virgin Active Response
9y
Thank you for taking the time to post your review. It's great to hear that the training & policies were useful to you, it's something we're really proud of. I will pass your other comments on to Management in the hope that we can improve this where possible. If you have further/more specific examples you'd be able to share with me, please email peoplehub@virginactive.co.uk (FAO Jeanette). I think you'll be pleased to know we have now launched some great new Virgin Values which take us back to our core Virgin roots and we're positive they'll make a great impact in 2017! Thanks again for your thoughts. All the best.
Viewing 145 - 147 of 1,226 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,461 Virgin Active reviews submitted anonymously by Virgin Active employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Virgin Active is right for you.