Before you read my CONS...make sure you read the rest of the reviews. You'll notice a certain pattern going on.
MANAGEMENT (or lack thereof)
For some, when you think of a manager, you think of someone who is innovative, a person who empowers, a person who doesn’t need to get involved in every aspect of the day-to-day tasks because they have...well...you know..a good team. Well...that’s not the case here. There is a level of micromanagement at Canfield that I’ve never experienced in my career. Management doesn’t know how to delegate and on top of that they micromanage every aspect of what you’re doing. On top of that...when you ask for documentation on the main product that you support so that you can better prepare yourself you’re laughed at. When you approach management with an idea that could bring some kind of convenience to users within the company you are micromanaged at every level from beginning to end only to have the idea just poo-pooed on. I mean...you can't even send a fax from the CEO without management being all over a fax. A FAX!
At the same time, management at this company could actually use some management training themselves. Mainly on how to deal with managing their own teams effectively and how to be on time when providing constructive criticism while not making their team members wait almost half a year only to tell them they need to improve on many things when most of the time the individual had to figure stuff out completely on their own.
There also seems to be a tight circle between the CEO and those who have been with the company since forever. Unless you’re camping out with the CEO or went to high school with the CEO or know the CEO at some personal level you can only go so far. Don’t get me wrong...there have been a few who have been dealt a lucky hand that have been able to rise up in the ranks and good for them (they deserve it) but unless you’re in ‘The Circle’ you’re going to have a tough time.
HUMAN RESOURCES (or lack thereof)
“We’d like to make you an offer at a non-negotiable salary of…”
This should have been my FIRST indicator of things to come with this company before I even started working for them. After digesting the reality that there is no wiggle room you pretty much accept your fate. Your acceptance doesn’t come with new hire orientation on your first day, week, month, or year. It’s just a quick tour of the facility, they walk you to your desk, have you log on, and that’s pretty much it. It’s all on you! The company doesn’t offer any type of employee discounts to anything. They don’t organize any kind of services for the community. Nothing is organized that helps strengthen the bond or promotes team building (which the company desperately needs). All you get is a picnic, that’s quite boring but people still attend because they’d get docked a half day if they don’t go, and a holiday party, that’s also quite boring. I mean...why would a good amount of people leave the holiday party after cocktail hour? For that just give each department a small budget so that they can hold their own happy hour...and they’ll have a great time.
Don’t get me wrong...they will answer your questions regarding your benefits (which I do have to say are not bad at all) or paid time off. They also buy bagels every Friday, they’ll buy lunch for clients who visit the company, walk the boss’s dog, keep tabs of who actually goes to the company picnic, and they’re fantastic when it comes to reviewing video footage of their employees and who they interact with during the day. Heaven forbid you try to have fun at a place you spend only 8-10 hours of your day at because if you do...watch out! They’ll pick you out in those video footages faster than they can find a caterer to cook breakfast for their clients on such short notice.
WORK / LIFE BALANCE
There is none!
You walk into certain departments and you can just see the soul being sucked out of some of these people. In one department in particular I’ve spoken to many how have had to fly cross-country for a 2 hour get together with a client only to then fly back the same day and then expected come to work the very next morning. That’s not fair and it is insane. Yet when HR was informed that they’re being told that they need to come to work following an adventure like that HR replies that they aren’t aware of people coming in after long business travel (really.get off the video feeds).
Could this be the reason why there is such a high turnover rate at the company? No wonder they’re hiring so much...they can’t keep the ones they’ve hired!
ONCE YOU'RE ON THEIR BAD SIDE...IT'S A WRAP
This is probably one of the more annoying aspects of working at Canfield. The problem that happened with me was that I wanted to enjoy my time while I did my job and THAT was extremely frowned upon by many. Once you’re on the wrong person’s bad side...you’ll be forever digging yourself out of an endless hole. Yet, it’s quite alright to those who frown upon you to have their fun while dropping f-bombs in their office...with their doors wide open or others laughing extremely loud while the rest of us in the trenches just look at each other with that “REALLY!?!?” face.