Canadian Blood Services Reviews

Pros

Good opportunity for learning
Nice working relationship with coworkers
Appreciated for the work done
Knowing you are helping the public providing a vital service

Cons

Sometimes the schedules are too tight
Have had to work very long schedules to complete the task at hand
Favoritism can sometimes be an obstacle in picking the proper resources

Advice to Senior Management

Make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally
Build a solid schedule that allows for things such as fluctations in staffing

Pros

Got to work within several interdisciplinary research groups and learn lots about new upcoming technologies. Definitely great place to learn and grow

Cons

Pay for summer interns isn't much; enough to get by and have a decent time though. Can get perks like flight covered

Advice to Senior Management

Continue actively recruiting summer interns; it helps us get our feet wet in industry. The support recieved there was amazing by senior management

Pros

They allow me to work from home once a week and I come and go as I please (basically I make my own hours)

Cons

Management lacks direction and are always micro managing you.

Advice to Senior Management

No advice needed.

Pros

good benefits, good pension, good working technology and conditions

Cons

This place is trapped in the 1970's. Employees are actively being told all the time what to do, independent of the level you are hired at. A director cannot set up a meeting to speak to a vice-president without letting their vice-president know the reason, so communication is a very complicated matter. Almost everything is confidential information, even information that most people would think are part of the every day of doing your job. Cross-functional departments do not share information with one another. At CBS it's not about doing business, it is about playing business. Lots and lots of employees doing busy work, collecting a paycheck. Meetings dive into all kinds of unnecessary details and the tiniest of information is discussed by vice-presidents. People wait to be told to what to do, otherwise risk reprimand from manager. Highest levels of management have a rudimentary understanding of how to run a business. A very slow moving, bureaucratic place caught into strategy development with almost non-existent execution and implementation and operational know-how. Decision making is not possible. Also, the executive management group, they are all scientists running the place. Very painful to work there if you like to get things done in an integrated fashion and see change happen.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to hire new talent at the highest levels with good business experience and then support them in creating the change that is needed. Stop the politics since this is the example given to the entire organization.

Pros

This is a company that plays a vital part in Health Care and as such it creates a certain level of pride to be part of its team.

Cons

- Recognition of staff for a job well done is almost non existant and cause for low morale and staff motivation.
- Professional development budget is only available to Senior Management staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior Management attending Town Hall meetings at varios sites throughout Canada should be knowledgeable and better informed of current issues at that particular site to be able to answer specific staff questions. Providing general updates only is a wast of time both for the staff and the organization.

Pros

compelling mission, exceptional career opportunities

Cons

large and often bureaucratic organizational structure, lack of a strong management or leadership development program results in some challenges at the management level, weakest links in the organization are at the Human Resources level

Advice to Senior Management

develop more effective HR groups locally and nationally, better prepare managers and provide them with the necessary HR support