Feb 26, 2010
Kaiser Permanente reviews
3.8
68% would recommend to a friend
Gregory Adams
53% approve of CEO
62% positive business outlook
Kaiser Permanente has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 14,824 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Kaiser Permanente employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Healthcare industry (3.4 stars).
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Reviews by job title
15K reviews
4.0
Feb 24, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook
Pros
Kaiser Permanente has great benefits and opportunities for advancement within the organization. They still offer a pension, which is a rare thing these days, and there are often classes/trainings available for those who are interested.
Cons
Some of the downsides are that there often is a lot of discussion about a healthy lifestyle, but staff put in a lot of hours. Work life balance can be difficult.
3.0
Feb 16, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook
Pros
If you learn the rules and follow them, you will find a lot of support from the system, at least as far as maximizing benefits, balancing career/personal lives, and knowing what's expected of you. The benefits here are very good. If you have a career that includes some certification with initials at the end of your name (MD, RN, RHIT, RT, etc) then you will do well. If you are accustomed to working your way up the ladder, it's best to have some type of certification. The company is MD-centric so the closer you are to the main focus of the corporation, the better your chances for respect, advancement, wages and raises. Kaiser has many union-based positions which offer some protections for people who do not have initials at the end of their name. This helps maintain employment during times when the economy suffers and the company looks for ways to cut costs. I have met countless people with 15, 20, 25 years at Kaiser. It's not unusual - it's the norm. Although starting salaries for many positions (clerical for example) may be low, employees tend to stay a long time and work up to higher salaries through their long tenure.
Cons
I miss being performance managed. When I'm judged based on performance, I have control of my reputation, career opportunities and future. I am in a union position and most opportunities are based on your seniority. Whether or not your input is taken seriously is based on seniority. Whether or not you have an opportunity to grow is based on seniority. Management gets away with dodging directly managing you by over-using the "lead" or "senior" positions. This prevents you from knowing what is said about you and how the manager feels about you personally or about your performance. If your "lead" likes/trusts/respects you, they will pass on a good report. If they don't, it's human nature that they aren't interested in your success (and may want to get even) and will not pass on a good report. You have little or no control of this. Gossip is substituted for performance management here. As with many companies, many job functions are being automated or out-sourced compared to 5-10 years ago, so if you don't have a clear medical specialty with an employment track record in that specialty, you are at risk. If you are older, you are safe if you are an MD or RN but if you are not in a designated specialty, age makes a difference in transfers and promotions. IT employees who need to purchase supplies have to do so with their own money and then request reimbursement. People who work from home likewise pay for connectivity and any related needs and then request reimbursement. I have worked elsewhere when this was billed to a company credit card or directly to the company (e.g. internet connectivity) without relying on the pocketbook of the employee to finance company business. I have worked at companies with an open-door policy. Kaiser is not like that. If you go around anyone in management to accomplish a goal, it will be remembered and you may pay for it in the long run.
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