Top Notch Agency - Anonymous employee Canadian Security Intelligence Service Employee Review

Not like typical government department. Give it a chance. Great mission, great work, talented people. Lots of former industry experts. Good salary, remember to add 7% to whatever is shown on the website, since technology people get that bonus.

Not gonna tell you the cons. Left to pursue private sector opportunities.

Government benefits (at least until they ended defined benefit pensions)

Too many to list, but start with poor leadership, promotions based on language skills and not ability, non-existent HR skills, indecisiveness, no moral courage, hugely risk adverse, inadequate training, micromanagement, 18 years after 911 still no effective means of working with police, huge distrust of domestic partners, doesn't listen to its own employees, hugely inefficient, soul-crushing. It was there I learned, from a very senior person, the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the work is done by the 20% who actually give a damn. The place is still a harassment suit waiting to happen and senior leadership are afraid (to put it politely) to stand up to dinosaurs. They'd rather settle suits for millions.