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    City of Seattle Reviews

    Updated January 6, 2019
    270 reviews

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    3.2
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    (no image)
    Jenny Durkan
    1 Rating

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Work life balance is great and you never have to talk your work home with you" (in 39 reviews)

    • "Flexible schedules, competitive pay and benefits" (in 16 reviews)

    Cons

    • "After a while you realize no one takes you seriously because you're an intern" (in 6 reviews)

    • "In general, upper management seems only to care about their politics rather than the well being of the staff" (in 6 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "Assistant City Attorney"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Assistant City Attorney
      Former Employee - Assistant City Attorney

      I worked at City of Seattle full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      SCAO is a great place to work

      Cons

      Work in silos. White and polite. Isolating. Minimal institutional knowledge shared

      Advice to Management

      Actually apply RSJI initiative to all work of SCAO. Minimal diversity.

    2. "Use your leadership tools"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Current Employee - Manager
      Current Employee - Manager

      I have been working at City of Seattle full-time

      Pros

      Great Benefits, vision, and mission

      Cons

      HR is terrible and wasteful.

      3. Join the City of Seattle team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Meter reader"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I have been working at City of Seattle full-time

      Pros

      Benefits, pay, upper management is nice, good work life balance

      Cons

      Some things progress slow to get done, working outdoors in the weather during winter time.

    4. Helpful (1)

      "Alot of sitting around"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Administrative Assistant in Seattle, WA
      Former Employee - Administrative Assistant in Seattle, WA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at City of Seattle part-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      I'm not sure, besides the pay and benefits are ok.

      Cons

      Catty environment. People are all out to get one another. No one is honest. Watch your back.

      Advice to Management

      Be human. Represent your self accordingly. Be clear and concise with expectations.

    5. "system analyst"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      Pros

      The city is trying hard to be inclusive and address hiring inequality, pay inequality and issues within the city and the structure of city government. Benefits are good. Work life balance is valued whether or not the area you are in recognizes the idea. Pay is good.

      Cons

      Sometimes the city can't get out of its own way. way too long of a probation period. way too high of a hiring bar considering what type of work you'll be doing.

      Advice to Management

      If you say you want people to succeed and you have a really long probation period, it's wise to stand behind the new hire and see that they succeed.

    6. "Gubment"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at City of Seattle full-time

      Pros

      Good, steady employment that pays well.

      Cons

      Sloooow process, no bonuses. Very slooow.

    7. "Typical city/state government job"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Seasonal Laborer for Parks and Recreation in Seattle, WA
      Former Employee - Seasonal Laborer for Parks and Recreation in Seattle, WA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I worked at City of Seattle full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      You can work as hard or as little as you want.
      Nice co-workers.
      Chances for advancement and permanent placement if you are a good worker. But rising higher in the ranks would take years due to the grinding wheels of government jobs.
      Nice environment working for Parks and Recreation at their lovely city parks.
      Nice job to just go home and forget all while still getting paid a decent wage.

      Cons

      A little disorganized in getting a new employee started, having documentation on how to do things, or explaining procedure.
      Seasonal employees usually have to work more than one season before getting a permanent job.
      Some of the old-timers really don't do much work and management doesn't seem to care.
      Supervisors are often just senior personnel but aren't really equipped for management. It's a product of city/state government-type jobs.
      Other new seasonal employees may shirk their duties and still somehow get a permanent job.
      Getting one of these jobs is really on a who you know basis.

      Advice to Management

      Get more organized in your onboarding procedures. Your team can be more successful if you present organization from the get go. Otherwise they'll just follow the chaos and decide to do just minimal work.

    8. "Lots of Growth"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Senior Accountant in Seattle, WA
      Current Employee - Senior Accountant in Seattle, WA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I have been working at City of Seattle full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      There is lots of opportunities to learn and grow into new positions

      Cons

      disorganized when it comes to the systems used, lack of communication between departments

    9. "Senior Policy Advisor"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I have been working at City of Seattle full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      - Work life balance
      - Meaningful work, ability to impact city

      Cons

      - Bureaucracy
      - The City is behind in many ways including technology

    10. "Great benefits"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      Pros

      great benefits and time off

      Cons

      stronger leadership and support for staff