account manager

administrative director

Goodman Fielder

Arrive early, apply my protective wear. Walk through the admin area and greet the staff, pick up anything that needs attention. Move into the manufacturing area and greet all staff. Find out from the operators how things have been tracking during the last 12 hours (that is) any issues, make notes. Walk through to the engineering department and greet the staff, address pressing issues picked up through my walk through the factory regarding plant and equipment, this helps with the preventive maintenance program. 9.00 am Pulse Meeting where key people attend and we have a set agenda to discuss and update everyone of current and future activities ensuring that we are all on the same page.

Then the day starts with meetings, conference calls, production planning, work improvement plans, quality and safety updates. Staff training. Reports, assessing process control framework and waste figures. Daily meet with the Team Managers and discuss previous days plant throughputs and waste figures against target, staffing levels against actual and absenteeism etc.

Love the people I work with, each and everyone of them are special. The hardest part of my job is leaving to improve myself and move to a new position, when I have developed such a good team of people. We have worked hard together and played outside the workplace in together. I believe a balance is very important.

Goodman Fielder is like the sport team that has all the resources but never wins, a leader comes out to a press conference and says there is green shoots but then the results never improve. 

The food service division is crumbling with so many resignations its almost a case of guess who will quit this week. They are junior roles either, its all the state managers and national team. The leader is foxhole norman and everyone is quitting because of it. 

A complete reorganisation of the team has resulted into people having completely different jobs without any say in the matter.. and no surprises everyone is leaving.. not because of promotion but because why on earth would you suffer through such a mess.

Certain senior members have ended up with no responsibility and others with heaps. 

A reorganisation of roles requires brilliant change management and consensus, as well as buy in from those that are effected. None of that was done. Zoom calls were needed months after to explain we ran on a matrix structure of dotted lines and no direct lines . 

Workplace culture is abysmal as everyone you speak too is looking to vacate the joint. If anything covid has created an escape away from the toxicity of the joint.. and if you wish to partake in the ongoing gossiping then you can do it via phone.


Goodman Fielder is at the stage where it's growth has floundered for years and has big ambitions for growth but little to no know-how to get there. 

The change management across its sales teams is appalling and watching them repurpose hard working team members with no regard for whether it suits their careers is saddening. 

Unfortunately for some including me fear for our livelihood and it only causes fear, anxiety and distrust. When you make people feel like they're instantly replacable, they have little incentive to perform. It's easy to crush someone's spirit if you treat them like a number, and not a unique individual with distinct abilities.

They've repurposed alot of the sales team knowing large swathes will be hard done but would rather rely on attrition to restructure over time. 

It's also one of the few places I've worked where literally everyone would leave in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose which is such an indictment on the level of care. 

The company does not like paying bonuses and will wriggle out of any understanding you may have from previous employers on how they work.

Personal development really is personal as they won't contribute one iota. 



What is the best part of working at the company?
As an employee, you have the opportunity to receive complimentary products from our company, which can be a great way to try out new items and enhance your understanding of our offerings.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The company operates with a hierarchical management structure, meaning there are multiple management levels. This structure ensures efficient decision-making and clear lines of authority. However, it's worth noting that there may be more managers than frontline workers in some departments. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Some people are amiable and helpful. But some think they are better than you. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The work environment can be challenging at times, with limited support from leaders and a culture of blame when things go wrong. This can create a stressful and potentially toxic atmosphere. Considering this aspect is essential when deciding if our company is the right fit for you.

If you have an ounce of talent then my suggestion is to avoid Goodman Fielder. 

Simply look elsewhere, otherwise it will dawn on you in a year that this advice was prudent and your talent will be extinguished.

This company is so full of dead fish it's rotting from within 

A boys club culture with little skill and little empathy they are hazardly hopeless. Middle management suffer from cognitive dissonance , tell staff one thing then bow down to superiors to make there own lives easier. Old men hanging on until retirement.

Vanilla products with no go to market strategy. There is no such thing as strategy in fact ,it changes so often than you become so confused you are ineffective. 

Literally zero training. This has to be the worst training organisation I've ever been involved with. They seriously haven't a clue. 

A performance review system which is so blurred you will be screwed over by faceless men and women who have never met you. A salary saving strategy. 

I would say they pay decently. That's the only saving grace. So if youre inclined to work for a pay cheque and that's it. Sure Goodman Fielder is great. 

But if you're not you'll end up like the droves of people resigning.

To speak truthfully, Goodman fielder take care of their workers. Especially those lifting heavy units non stop for 2 hrs. For each team there is 1 out of the 3 that will take a 30 min break to rest while their work colleagues continue to keep an eye and ear to the line. After the 30 mins is up, One of the other two work colleagues go to the break room to rest. The last will be notified that it is time to switch meaning he can now take a 30 min break. They will each take turns during most of the shift which by the way is something these workers need as the work between lunch breaks can become extremely strenuous on the body. The pay is also fair and can be more than generous if the casual employees are given overtime. My experience working for Goodman fielder was good as I felt like I was being treated fairly. I should mention, The section where I was stationed was named 'Tins' being 1 of over a handful of other sections so I can only speak for those who belong in the tins area. I would rate it 8 out of 10.


I used to like Regional Sales Manager role but not anymore , it has been taken over with people who have no understanding of the model and changed it into a mis titled merchandisers gig.  Micromanagement of what stores you have visited with no analysis for the reasons why and frustrating to say the least. 
I liked the freedom previous to be specific around growing the business and perhaps that wasn't driving enough growth for the business but this micro approach is demotivating. The consensus among the regional managers is they are all waiting for a redundancy. 

The payrise this year was a joke after sitting on a town hall which articulated how bad pricing of everything was getting and the need to raise prices they handed out a 1 percent payrise which has been consistently the amount paid. 

The amusing part of recent events is to hear they are running a leadership meeting because of the results of a terrible culture survey. 


If you have ever heard the quote " culture eats strategy for breakfast " be aware Goodman Fielder has neither culture or strategy. 

It's like a game of pin the tail on the donkey. The strategy is so undefined you lose all motivation. 
Lots of companies have a year plan or three year.. GF's is twelve times a year.

I note others have mentioned the performance management model. I'm not as scathing but it's totally open to interpretation. If you're a sales person I would avoid and apply elsewhere. As other have noted it's a big turnoff.  

The payrises are dismall. If you have a good year you'll actually get a pay increase that falls below CPI. So thanks for all your hard work here's a drop in purchasing power. High fives. 

They run incentives and then never tell you the result. I'm not joking. 

I've heard from recruiters trying to exit the joint that they wouldn't recommend GF and they feel for candidates. 

If you're building a career you'll end up starting again elsewhere.



Goodman Fielder is like the Russian Military, seemingly massive and from the outside this FMCG Goliath ,but when tasked with anything they're found wanting. 
Consistently shooting fish in a barrel, the role is becoming pointless with wave after wave of silly assignments with no value to retailer 

Managers don't give real feedback of the challenges and as such every activity/mission is another failure. 

Smaller competitors are winning the battles you wouldn't think possible. 

Emails coming every week of the people leaving the business, similar to Russian Generals suddenly departing their posts. 

Incentives and Bonuses are made almost impossible with arbitrary measurements and fanciful targets. 

There is clearly a desire for people to leave so they can not re hire and save money. 

Ultimately it will fall ..

On a typical day at work, I am applying my self-driven attitude to do any tasks as efficient as I can since I worked on a fast phasing environment. 

I learned how to handled my staff effectively and productively, as well as how to maintain my tenacity when things get tough. 

The management have very good core values to get better all the time  and wanted to implement these as can be.

My co-workers are my second family and observe teamwork at all times.   
 
The hardest part of the job when we're trying to meet the dateline and an equipment and IT related gets broken and our senior direct report starts loosing control over the timeline. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is when you gets appreciated for the job well done.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Account manager 3 salaries reported	$141,667 per year
Administrative director 1 salary reported	$167,788 per year

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