Cara Operations Reviews in Toronto, ON Area

Pros

I have been here for 2 years and things are finally getting better! We recently received our merit increases and the company and reinstated the 5% RRSP matching program - yeah! They have begun to rehire people and people seem focused, expecially the past few months.

There is a great gym on the upper level, which has everything.

Cons

It is an open office environment which can be difficult to get used to, though it also has it benefits. Lunch in the cafeteria is overpriced, though it's discounted.

Advice to Senior Management

more communication to Associates in future growth plans and franchising.

Pros

They pay more than minimum wage

Cons

Boring work for a summer student

Pros

Below the Senior Management level there was a good group of people to work with. For many it felt there was more than just a Team environment.
Benefit package though cut back was still pretty good in comparison to other equivalent firms.
Vision for the long term of the company was correct even though it was not properly executed causing much of the troubles the company is in today.

Cons

Senior Management lost touch on how to communicate properly with their employees not unless you were a Queens Graduate.
Respect of knowledge from long term employees was not solicited.
Senior Management coming from a Marketing Oriented company could not adapt to working in an Operational environment. No experience on how to deal with real people. There past was to worry about getting the product on a store shelf and doing what it takes to get people to purchase it. Having to deal with real consumers was too much of an adjustment for them.
Senior Management made some questionable decisions such as a New Head Office where they do not even own the property but a friend of Don's does.
These decisions may have resulted in the mass layoffs that occurred. Severance packages were dismal but necessary to allow them to continue to pay the ridiculous salaries of Queens Graduates straight out of school.

Advice to Senior Management

Understand the need for the change but removing your base of knowledge completely is a very questionable business practice. Book smarts is not always the best way to operate in a Service Oriented environment.

Pros

There is a “good base” salary for front line managers. Salary can get better based on your performance. Bonus program is above average for senior front line mangers. Benefit program is great!

Cons

The little amount of praise from upper management, when over performing. The lack of information provided to front line managers about changes within the brands. An abundance of people changes to deal with.

Advice to Senior Management

Build stronger realationships with your front line managers. Get more feedback from the front line employees. Have team building meetings with all managers from all brands.

Pros

Opportunity to Advance. Opportunity to lead important programs. Great collection of competent people from various backgrounds

Cons

Not a very good training organization.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in growing everyone, not a select few

Pros

Peers are usually excellent and the work is busy, boredom won't be a problem! Pay is on par with industry though benefits lag.

Cons

Current executive management has no clue how to run a business profitably. They blow themoney on silly and counter-productive open-concept furniture and a shiny new too-small buidling and now have been laying off staff to make ends meet. The go from one financial crisis to another. Most of the senior level staff have very short tenure, the old guard (who were a heck of a lot better) were all turfed shortly after the new CEO was put in place. Lot's of cronyism which is hurting morale is icing on the cake.

Advice to Senior Management

You are killing the company. Please put aside your considerable ego and resign before the damage becomes irreversable! Listen to your employees (especially the ones that aren't intimidated by you) to get advice on how to fix things. Cara used to be a "Top 50" employer under the old management (a significant point for me when I joined the company), what will it take to get there again?

Pros

Peers are excellent to work with. Business is fast-paced, there is never time to be bored. The company offers flex time which is a valuable option.

Cons

Hmmm...where to start...The Executive management came mainly from a candy bar manufacturer and even after a few years still have no clue how to run a business on the long term. They blew millions on a new Head Office in Vaughan that they knew was too small before they even started (now HO is split with the IT Department many miles away in Scarborough). The office space is awful with the "Open" open concept, it looks like one of those sweat shops from China. Zero privacy and very difficult to concentrate due to no partitions to block noise (you hear everything). They fired almost all the exec's from the old guard and installed cronies who were hired for who they know, not what they know. I am soooo glad to be gone!

Advice to Senior Management

For God's sake please resign before you bankrupt the company! Too many families rely on a Cara paycheque for you to blow it on foolish IT projects, new buildings, or crappy "Open Concept" office space. Vendors also should be paid within terms!

Pros

Very customer service oriented; Cara will give you the basics if you are lacking, and will help those skills evolve once you have them. Although there is not much room for moving up, the elite who deserve it most definitely will.
Flexible scheduling allows you to live your life.
Uniforms are modest but not ugly.

Cons

Smelling like fries at the end of your shift; gaining weight because you're eating only Cara's unhealthy options; working weekends; dealing with unruly patrons.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work! Continue to motivate, inspire, and most importantly, put the 'care' in Cara!
You are good employers!

Pros

the staffs are excellent to work with

Cons

requesting time off is hardly permitted. Kitchen staff does not get the same respect as the dinning room staffs. Lack of information about raises/benefits. Over work

Advice to Senior Management

Let the kitchen guys eat one meal a day for free

Pros

Largest restaurant company in Canada. If you are lucky and in the right place at the right time there is room to grow.

Cons

No internal communication between departments. Over all lack of concern for employees. Policy tends to change at a while without any type of warning to employees. They spend large amounts of money every year on internal procedure changes but really it is always the same but with a name change. Some of the upper managmwent will barely even give the time of day to a general employee. i have seen people say hello or good morning to Don the president and he looks at them and does not even respond, just keeps on walking.

Advice to Senior Management

Look at the big picture.