Pros
Overall, CIFAR has a lot of GREAT people. Everyone is extremely helpful. It almost felt too good to be true. Work-life balance gets a high rating. The systems are, for the most part, easy to navigate. There are a lot of great employee engagement initiatives and support during the pandemic.
Cons
Sadly, there are too many cons for this organization. After reading previous reviews, not much has changed and that's a red flag. Leadership is hurting this organization and its employees. Some execs should consider moving on to other fitting endeavors outside of CIFAR. Leadership isn't defined by bullying employees because their opinions are different to yours. Learn to respect and consider their ideas instead of shooting them down and they will give you their 200%. "It's science"! Diversity and Inclusion is a big topic here, however, this is a work in progress. Not everyone is onboard. There are still a few who struggle with accepting people of color in the workplace. There are still a few who need to address their biases. D&I doesn't mean pushing us around to show your position of “power”. It isn't only about filling desk spaces with people of color. It's about listening with intent and accepting different perspectives than your own. Please start treating and seeing us as individuals who may/will have a different approach. Kindly abandon 'my way or the highway attitude' because it isn't working in your favour. Also, our work/life experience differs from those who don't fall in the BIPOC category. We are NOT projects so please stop playing savior. We don’t need to be saved or treated as children. Stop calling us by pet names. When employees share genuine anxieties/disorders, do not throw them into the deep end, expecting them to swim. Clearly, you've set them up to drown! Shame on those who support this type of behavior. Shame on CIFAR for indirectly allowing execs to treat employees as such and not doing anything about it. It seems to be CIFAR's culture to divulge medical diagnoses without the employee's consent, to the rest of the organization which is a violation of employee privacy. Some staff are truly invested and really want to see CIFAR's advancement. What I wish for this organization is a revamp. Out with the old and in with a more innovative leadership team, processes and outlook especially if the intent is to go global.