Alberta Health Services Reviews

Pros

Mutual respect.
Employees work in a mature manner as a team.

Cons

Pay and benefits are quite weak.

Pros

The benefit package and vacation structure seems to be fair. I have met some great people from all aspects of the healthcare industry.

Cons

Always the expectation to carry out jobs with little to no incentive or recognition upon completion of work. Little to no learning opportunities in terms of courses, workshops etc. Work life balance focuses primarily on work with little emphasis on life. Manpower given to complete work is completely unreasonable yet expected to be completed within given deadlines.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognition, recognition, recognition. Incentive, incentive, incentive. Lead, empower and recognize the staff that are making YOU look good. Just because someone does a good job doesnt mean that extra responsibility and work should be dumped on that person. Utilize the resources given to you more effectively and support staff with the manpower REQUIRED to get the work done.

Pros

Good pay compared to private

Cons

Too many rules, too many managers and upper level. Not much freedom to grow or take on new challenges because they are not part of your job description.

Advice to Senior Management

Give employees and lower level management more freedom with frontline decisions.

Pros

There are still some great people left.

Cons

No value placed on the ideas or intelligence of staff.
No engagement of front line staff to directors in change
Senior leadership seems to be so afraid that they only manage up forgetting about all the people below doing the work
Constant "reorganization" happening

Advice to Senior Management

pay attention to those who work in the organization

Pros

Good benefits, adequate pay, BIG company opportunities and variety, lots of people to network with.

Cons

Internal Politics.
Bureaucracy.
Selfish labour groups.
Government interference.
Mushroom management style.

Advice to Senior Management

Walk the talk.

Pros

-Not in the downtown core
-Sr Financial Analyst role under the union agreement

Cons

-Bully type management
-All proficient mgmt left a year after AHS formed, only poor mgr's left
-Takes over 2 years to get a parking spot in the meantime you are bussed from a lot and still have to pay for that.
-No chance for promotion
-No accountability

Advice to Senior Management

You need a 360 degree employee assessment that includes assessing your own manager.

Pros

It was good pay, decent work. And the people who you work with are generally very nice people with good intensions

Cons

The lack of organization and effort that management and HR put into new hires is ridiculous. No set routine and the management style is terrible. Zero communication available.

Pros

Good salary and benefits.Better culture for like minded

Cons

Lots of internal politics. Outsiders cannot copeup with.

Advice to Senior Management

none

Pros

Top health services employer in Canada

Cons

Very political - those in the executive committee make all the decisions.

Advice to Senior Management

Let those most competent to make a decision - make it!

Pros

-Very large organization allows for lots of internal movement
-Ability to collaborate and connect with people across the province
-Talented and hard working employees who keep working despite constant change

Cons

-Too big for their own good
-Talk "transparency" but do not carry it out. Don't admit faults and try to glaze over important issues.
-Disconnect with staff and physicians
-Overwhelming workload
-Top down, authoritative and bureaucratic
-Don't value employees even though they say they do

Advice to Senior Management

-Give the power back to the local areas and allow them to do their own thing
-Centralization is not always a good thing
-Hire upper managers with people skills as well as talent
-Be proactive instead of letting us find out news from newspapers