YMCA Reviews

Pros

-benefits
-a sense that everyone works here because they are passionate about helping others
-history of this org. speaks for itself--very reputable!!

Cons

- does not seem like a lot of upward career mobility

Advice to Senior Management

Look more to part-time employees to fill permanent positions.

Pros

-very flexible schedule, I had a very weird school schedule every semester
-didn't micromanage
- sometimes fun
-very laid back work

Cons

- not enough hours, at most 15 a week
- managers would rarely come to the site and supervise
- they hired kids out of high school with no experience and paid them the same as me eventhough i had 4 years experience.
- worked there 2 years and no raise or promotion
-promoted or gave raises to brown nosers or friends

Advice to Senior Management

visit the sites more often and take into account the hard work of employees.

Pros

Proud of what you do
Flexibility (if you are exempt)
Good Job Security

Cons

Horrible Pay
60+ Hour Work Week
Bad for someone with a family (no family time, your YMCA is your family) you pich a tent in your office
Training consist of going out of state for 1-2 days trying to gather 15 different training topics which would cost all together around $3,000 of personal investment especially if you work for a poor YMCA branch
Limited upper mangement possiblities unless you transfer or get hired by another YMCA across the county
You become a proffesional bum (so enjoy fundraising)

Advice to Senior Management

National Y needs to create pay standards for all Y's to follow for certain positions example Director Positions (Programs, Aquatics, Member Services, Health and Wellness) Boy Scouts do this for their entry level position
Offer better financial assistance to small Y's to send proffesionals to training
Don't rob the small Y's of membership dues and then create an unfunded mandate like the logo branding recgonition and expect all Y's around the world to spend thousands to redo signage on buildings etc.

Pros

Nice people and very upbeat place.

Cons

Only part time hours
Hr rate was only $10

Pros

If you would like to work with children as a childcare worker or as a counselor during the summer, I would recommend the YMCA, because of the values that the organization actively represents and promotes to the community it serves. The facility I worked with was well-organized, friendly, and passionate about working with children.

Cons

hours were shortened due to economic and budgeting reasons.

Advice to Senior Management

NA/

Pros

Teaching others a life skill, providing a safe and fun environment for children and parents

Cons

not enough hours, visitors don't really attend swimming pool during fall and winter

Advice to Senior Management

continue to making the YMCA a fun environment, make sure lifeguards stay prepared

Pros

Flexible hours and time-off. Free child-care included. Great sense of team amongst staff.

Cons

Favoritism in hiring friends. Not enough opportunity for growth. Some hostile employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Give people a chance to shine and let them try. Don't be afraid of change and challenge all staff to be their best!

Pros

The majority of the people you work with are absolutely wonderful.
Employees believe in respect, responsibility, caring, and honesty.
It's the perfect family place.
You end up knowing everyone who comes into the YMCA. It becomes a huge family.
The sense of community the YMCA has is amazing.

Cons

The lifeguards are very separate from the other employees.
Pay raises in many places has been frozen.
There were a lot of issues with the pay checks.

Advice to Senior Management

Make more of a strong community withing the staff of the YMCA. Fix problems with the clock quicker and have a better system with the paychecks.

Pros

Flexible hours and friendly coworkers

Cons

Relatively few opportunities for advancement, no clear path to become management.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up what you are doing!

Pros

I am able to make a difference and I am working for a Cause.

Cons

No matter what your job is you where many hat's because staffing is thin.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep focusing on Systems to help us do our jobs and accountability of staff.