Pros
You want to get experience with helping low-income families take their first step in trying to improver the quality of life-- this is exactly what you do here. The pros to this is really just depends on what your position entails.
Cons
I worked for Crystal Stairs for 3 years, and in those 3 years all my raises added up together do not equal a whole dollar. That should give you an idea how their wages, and how its almost impossible to live off their pay. They’ll say “oh the pay is low, but benefits balance out”… believe me they don’t. You have Kaiser + a terrible 401K plan + terrible dental coverage + semi-ok vision. Kaiser charges you just for blood being drawn + your visit copay + your meds copay—basically your plans are horrible. The way I’ll review this employer is by giving examples of actual situations, and you can draw your conclusions from there. Management “I don’t know Title V as well as you do, I haven’t had time to look at it…” – my supervisor, worked for CSI for over 10 years. - Title V is a state regulation provided by the California Department of Education; basically our enrollment process is to be aligned with this. If you don’t know the regulation based that applications should be aligned with, then how are you a supervisor? Basically the more incompetent you are, the more like you are to succeed. CEO, J. Majors I met a parent who has a master’s, she lost it all, and when we met one-on-one she quickly concluded that I was racist and was threatening to record me. This escalated and reached to our CEO, J. Majors. I never met Jackie. In the 3 years that I worked here, I was never even greeted by her when she did her 2 times a year walk through our building. Now since this client wrote to Jackie, her issue was taken serious. Never once was I spoken to on how to prevent this. Never once did Jackie ask me about the situation. I mention this because employees here have no protection or support (at least those meeting with clients). Know who you’re employees are, and then maybe you can continue your whole advice on how to better provide customer service. Also, treat all clients fairly—take all their concerns seriously; not just the parent who brags about her PhD. - Also, if you knew so much about how to improve customer service lets just start with our lobby. We have a room with the title "QUIET ROOM." This is were parents are sent to with screaming children. Thank you for further humiliating parents. Maybe you fail to understand that parents come to our agency with children because they NEED CHILD CARE. I can't imagine what a mother, or any one there who comes in with their children must feel like when your staff approaches them with "we have a room for you and your loud child" Environment: everything has been stripped away. Basically, no fun allowed at all. Not saying I come here to party, but not even a potluck is permitted. You aren’t even allowed to bring your department any food without someone in another department whining about it. A lot of women work here, and with that said there’s a lot of drama. The dynamics of each department is very unique. For the department I worked for there are people who will turn their dislike for something very personal. Our department created a ‘Suggestion Box’—here someone suggested that those in a click should be fired. They didn’t like someone so much they wanted that person out of the agency. If you ask me that’s a red flag. This is dangerous, and toxic. When someone doesn’t want you there, and doesn’t even know you on a personal level, you are dealing with a maniac, and drawing back to employees being supported—the agency should take things like this much more serious. A lot of mediation is needed for the people who work here, and that’s not the supervisors job, but it is our agency’s responsibility to do something about it because so many people are on leave here!!!! The agency offers EAPs, and its time they start to direct their staff there to assist as a tool to improve workplace relationships. Basically the people who are here just to make a buck and not care for the quality of work + service are who shouldn't be here. People who won't step in help teams in assisting clients shouldn't be here.