Government of Canada Reviews in Ottawa, ON Area

Pros

Enjoyable work and great benefits

Cons

Stressful at times at times vacation time is restricted.

Pros

Benefits are adequate. Better, more comprehensive benefits at the Municipal government level. Federal Governments are decent but far from the best out there.

Cons

Uneducated managers who are seriously lacking in people skills. Second language capabilities (that's questionable) doesn't make someone a better candidate. Rigid, draconian mentality of upper managers. Many managers are of the 'micro' kind who have worked for the government since dropping out of high school. It would be nice to find a manager who is capable of writing a grammatically correct email. Several Federal Government managers are seriously lacking in any decorum. Very unfair hiring practices. The competition processes are a waste of Canadian tax dollars since the 'process' is a facade. Candidates are pre selected and other competitors are just wasting their time. Bar none, worst place I've worked. Stay away if you want meaningful work with forward, progressive thinking managers.

Advice to Senior Management

My advice to mangers, especially those who are close to retirement, leave now, please. Stop having such a negative influence over supervisors who are learning nothing but your poor management style.

Pros

The GOC operates a broad range of interesting and complex programs.

Cons

It's hard to implement growth and change in a large and complex structure, so exercises in strategic planning must be performed over years, not the months I was contracted for. Management often seeks quick fixes and so fails to understand the nature of the organization. It is not nimble, but it can be effective, so long as activities are scaled to the the organization in both scope and time.

Pros

it is a stable job, doing cool research

Cons

its boring sometimes, and kind of far

Advice to Senior Management

manage better, be more efficient

Pros

Good holiday time
Satisfying work
Good people to work with

Cons

No one can make competent decisions
No one thinks in a business like manner

Pros

Exceptional work-life balance and very low stress as you're solely responsible to meeting your own pre-determined quota. No surprises in work load.
Open, friendly, atmosphere amongst non-management employees.
Job security unmatched elsewhere as you're in an union.

Cons

You are in an union. No threat of losing the job yet no reward of doing a good job either. Management all fixated on the numbers and no appreciation of quality of work. To succeed in the office, keep your head down and follow commands like a soldier.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't run the office like the military.

Pros

I worked in 2 separate Federal Departments, both were wonderful. The majority of my time was spent at Public Safety Canada and I was very pleased with the senior management team. They were intuitive, supportive and trusting ( able to delegate important tasks without micromanaging). Management was open to ideas, I was never shut down or shut out if I suggested anything to help improve the process, report, meeting etc. Overall I found my colleagues of a high caliber which was nice as I felt like I was a part of a high performance team. Great intergovernmental experience, able to work with multiple partners on interesting subject matter.

Cons

Workload was cyclical, can be difficult at times as you're are extremely busy for a while and then do nothing for weeks. I found advancement within 1 department to be difficult, most employees switch between multiple departments throughout their career in order to advance. Organizational efficiency is on the lower side, it does take a while for things to happen. Also, a lack of variety when it comes to work, you can often work on the same file for years without much action.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide management the tools to promote from within and to keep employees in certain departments. Management should be able to build and keep their own teams if the team is proven to be successful. Maintain the positive and understanding attitude that helps employees keep work-life balance and promote/highlight options to attain that balance. Mean it when you sign an employees learning plan and followup with employee to make certain they are achieving personal goals in professional workplace ( i.e. registered for training courses etc.)

Pros

The work life balance is definitely the most alluring factor to a job at the government. Equally important is the work equity -- treating men and women and different races equally in terms of advancement opportunities and recognition.

Cons

It is arguable that a job at the government is less stimulating and less challenging. Overall it's better than one would think, because you can move from job to job within the government and do different things.

Advice to Senior Management

Leadership is effective if you end up in a strong team with motivated employees and a strong leader. However, potentially can become bureaucratic and the flow of information could be slower in other companies. I was fortunate to end up in an effectively-cooperating team with supportive leader.

Pros

Security. Pension. Salary. A 37.5 hour work week. Loads of sick leave. And frankly, you never have to worry that the company is going to go out of business.

Cons

The bureaucracy gets you down, sooner or later. Also, management tends to look more for ways to make themselves look good than they do ways to reward/recognize their employees. Incompetence and laziness abounds. There are some spectacular employees, but the mediocre and bad employees can't be fired very easily, so there are a lot of them to deal with. Also, you get the feeling that you're working for the ruling government, and not for the people of the country...which is backwards.

Advice to Senior Management

More recognition and praise would boost morale. Feedback should come at both good and bad moments. Also, more training and career enhancement opportunities would be great.

Pros

Generous benefits and time off.

Cons

You lose your mind, soul and ability to think for yourself.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize that as long as you keep making everything other than talent as the key determinants of employee promotion into senior positions, you will continue to generate a culture that celebrates mediocrity and risk aversion.