Bell Canada Reviews in Toronto, ON Area

Pros

Good benefits package that includes ESP, RSP, DC plan, Dental, Medical and a generous number of vacation days by Canadian standards.

There are definitely a lot of good people at Bell and if your report to one of them your feedback can be valued and your work can be appreciated

Cons

With the jobs cut over the past few years the remaining employees have to do the jobs of 3 people so it's hard to maintain work/life balance while getting everything done.

Team sessions with travel used to happen on a regular basis before 2007, but they're now a thing of the past

While there are good people at Bell, there are also those who are very concerned with office politics and if something goes well they take the credit and if something doesn't work out they deflect the blame

There are good leaders that respect employees time and work/life balance, but there are others who will call meetings/conference calls with 10 minutes notice during lunch and expect you to drop everything (and it's usually not urgent and could've easily waited until the next day). Usually these same leaders expect you to respond to their emails within 15 minutes whether you're in a meeting or working on other priorities.

If you have a good boss and Director it doesn't mean it'll stay that way - there are usually organizational structure changes (or reorgs as they're known internally) every year or two (and sometimes more frequently).

With some bosses you may be asked to produce reports that aren't that useful. You'll also be expected to have all numbers on hand even when people in other departments don't provide the reports you need to have those numbers.

No raises in the last 4 years

The bonus structure isn't always fair as not everything in it is under your direct influence

Advice to Senior Management

Stop cutting and hire enough people so that it's possible to get all your work done on most days in 8 hours and maybe even take a lunch

Have team events that help employee morale.

Cost cutting can sometimes be a necessary evil, but Bell's cost cutting has become extreme over the past few years.

Pros

Easy job, flex hours, work from home

Cons

Terrible management, heavy politics, no learning opportunities

Advice to Senior Management

More competition in the industry is good

Pros

The benefits package is unparalled in Canada. Plenty of flexibility in work schedule, but that may have just been the Director under whom I worked.

Cons

The fact that the company moves so slowly can be frustrating to someone who's working in small business environments in the past.

Advice to Senior Management

Might help to have "fast-track" measures to move employees' best ideas forward in a more expeditious manner. There's no harm in listening to your employees' ideas and acting on them more quickly to give the company a better sense of action.

Pros

the company had good people, met a lot of people who will cont to be good friends good money, people are really good,

Cons

the company did not treatr you like a person you were just a number and only as good as wht you did for them today

Advice to Senior Management

the advice I give to management is treat peoplke like people and not a number, ma bell has lost the human touch

Pros

Fast paced working environment
above average pay for call center support staff
good compensation packages such as dental, health, and vision
good to make money for a few years and leave

Cons

management is horrible
they keep checking up on you every five minutes
customers complain all the time on the phone

Advice to Senior Management

actually reward and compensate your employees
offer empowerment to the employees so they can make some decisions themselves
stop going so strict

Pros

- lots of opportunities throughout Bell's family of companies for career mobility
- there are some good leaders who are competent and act for the good of employees
- good flex work options to telework depending on position
- well recognizable company and brand

Cons

- company image is not well regarded in the market as it seems every customer has a beef with Bell
- like any large company, very political and lots of red tape... inhibits quick decision making and execution of action plans
- not a leader in compensation strategy as it's typically set at only 60% of market...benefits have been pulled back significantly in recent years as well (i.e no more post-retirement benefits, defined benefit pension changed to defined contribution...)
- poor internal culture and morale due to incessant cost cutting initiatives over past 6 years. Being in HR, I know since I was constantly inundated with downsizing & surplus activities...decisions to cut are done in haste and tunnel visioned so as to meet only temporary or very short-term financial goals and not looking at the impact to the rest of the company and it's long-term objectives.
- large exodus of talented people in recent years and those who stayed, most are long tenured employees who feel bound to the company to not jeopardize their pension entitlements...lots of fear and uncertainty among all level.
- company will squeeze every penny out of you and with constant downsizing, survivors are faced with carrying the load of 3 people...lots of work and little work-life balance.

Advice to Senior Management

If Bell truly wants to change the culture and become an Employer of Choice and a leader in the marketplace, Senior management should really take note of what the employees have said about the company and take a ground up approach to managing instead of always top down.

Pros

Your colleagues and managers will be very well intentioned good people.
Your company will be delivering a service all companies and people need.
Your company will keep up with the latest offerings as far as product and services.
Your company expects to win and will win all business it sets its sights on.
Flexible working hours and location for management.
You will recieve a fair salary and benefits.

Cons

-Multiple monolithic vertical organizations exist within the firm that could be much much better at communicating with each other, working together cross-function and working with customers.
-Don't expect to get much personal professional development or training, unless the training you seek comes from a computer, is technical and provided by one of their suppliers.
-Change does not come easily to this firm. Many determined people have tried at all levels and many have concluded its easier to move on.
-Expect a puzzling ongoing love-hate relationship with about a quarter of the clients.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the well intentioned work. There is a light burning at the end of the tunnel and you will get there. Soon.

Pros

- Great training ground with multiple departments/divisons to learn from
- good people to get coaching from
- processes, though sometime archane, have been well thought out

Cons

- middle management in paralysis
- size of company makes it tough to move fast
- must understand how to work in a highly political environment

Advice to Senior Management

- open doors to working level
- ensure sr. leadership have not only excellent business skills but more importantly great people leadership skills

Pros

good developmennt role to start at this company - but most people leave after a couple of years.

Cons

no work life balance ; never meet targets for bonus

Advice to Senior Management

continue to focus on returning money to shareholders via share buybacks and dividend increases. keep trying to treat employees with respect

Pros

Recognised company
Work/Life can be somewhat balanced
Easy to stand out from the crowd

Cons

Salary is not competitive
Small business mentality that affects who gets promoted and who gets increases
Many people in the woodword "coast", others work very hard for limited recognition

Advice to Senior Management

Be fair.