CanWest Global Communications Reviews

Pros

- interesting industry
- learn how television works

Cons

- little exposure to real work
- little interaction with management
- no clear intern process

Advice to Senior Management

- more structured internship program

Pros

Benefits are good but the pay sucks

Cons

The pay sucks and the room for improvement does not even exist.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more team orientated. Get rid of indvidiuals who slow the process and have no respect your co-wokers. Grow a pair and send those people packing. As I am sure we will be right behind them.

Pros

Lots of room to to try different things at the Post. You can write, edit, do anything you can think of to add to the newspaper. And most things you work on will get into the paper. A great place for someone just starting out who needs some clips and the freedom to write about what they want. Also, if you're part-time, you can freelance for them on the side, though the pay for freelance is very low. If you can get to know the right people (editors), you can be involved in any aspect of the paper that you're interested in.

Cons

They hardly ever hire anyone full time, and it's pure luck if you can even get a contract. They pay the bare minimum and don't give you a chance to ask for more. The building is in the middle of nowhere, it takes an hour minimum to get there by public transportation. There aren't enough people working there, so everyone has to work more than they should be made to work. Canwest basically won't pay you much and is very disorganized, but it's a good place to start out because you don't need much experience to work there, but once you're there, it's really hard work.

Advice to Senior Management

If you pay people what they're worth, they'll stay at the Post and add value to it.

Pros

I've had a chance to travel, meet some interesting people and work on a show that has some positive name recognition. I see that things are starting to move in a more positive direction under new leadership but like any place that will take time.

Cons

The biggest problem is that they are chronically understaffed and don't have the resources that are needed to get the job done without stretching the employees to the their limits. I think the limited options for advancement are a real problem as well.

Also the location of the offices, terrible cafeteria food (that people often get sick from) and the non-professional work environment (lots of gossip, negativity etc)

Advice to Senior Management

be consistent. be more transparent. if they hired more staff I think people would feel like they have time to breathe and feel less negativity towards the company.

Pros

Great people, great work-life balance

Cons

Not enough transparency. No longer the same company; was bought out and has changed.

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate more openly with emplyees andwithin good time. Sometimes they are left in the dark too long.

Pros

People are great and respectful of eachother.

Cons

Too large and complex with structure and lack of top down communication.

Advice to Senior Management

Take an active role in leading the team for the future and communicate to the team more effectively.

Pros

The pay is good and co-workers are lovely.

Cons

The management is in disarray. They seem to have no vision, no philosophy that workers can relate to and be motivated by. Worker morale is one of the lowest I've ever seen, the company brand is a joke.

Advice to Senior Management

Realize that this is a media company, and run it like a media company. That means serving your audience, not only your shareholders.

Pros

Warm and dry roof over my head better than living on the street. Reliable predictable pay cheque.

Cons

Extremely high turnover of employees not only entry level jobs, but also middle management high turnover.

Advice to Senior Management

This work place has potential and some small distinct changes could easily improve poor moral in this office. Hard working fair managers who attempt to find comprimises between management and employee and listen to the employees side of the stituation quickly find this is not the Canwest management style as directed from the top and find themselves leaving or often terminated. Young inexperienced ''yes" managers with attitude are encouraged and sought after by high level management.