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TransAlta Reviews
127 reviews
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Dawn Farrell
67 Ratings
Pros
"Lots of great people that work within the company" (in 12 reviews)
"Promotion and support of good work/life balance" (in 6 reviews)
Cons
"Upper management not well-liked as you can see from other reviews" (in 10 reviews)
"Just realize there is no job security in ANY role or position" (in 5 reviews)
Helpful (10)
![TransAlta Logo]()
"Viewing it from the other side of the glass"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Positive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Most people who write reviews on sites like Glassdoor are those disgruntled because of layoffs or personal issues with their supervisors. The truth is those of us who are happy about our place of work never take the time to share the other side of the story.
I have been with TransAlta for 4 years now. In the past 25 years, my career has taken me to all four corners of the globe working on sustainable development projects. I have had the privilege to be mentored by some of the greatest professionals around. Yet, I don't remember ever working for a more innovative, progressive company than TransAlta Corporation.
Not one or two, but three of the supervisors I've worked with in this company have taken the time to make sure I'm involved in projects I find meaningful. The level of trust is one of the highest I have ever encountered and ideas and suggestions are listened to and followed on.
Most of the people I work with work hard because they feel respected and appreciated.
Lately, the Management Team in the Company has involved us all in a culture-changing exercise; and the results have been outstanding. A positive attitude is contagious and ours is spreading rapidly.
I truly look forward to the rest of my career here, and I know of many others who feel the same way about TransAlta.Cons
No company is perfect but this one comes really close
Advice to Management
Keep involving the key innovators in the process of bringing this company to new heights. Some of the best ideas come from front-line employees.
TransAlta 2017-11-03 12:58 PDT![TransAlta Logo]()
"Sr. Engineer"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
I have been working at TransAlta full-time
Pros
Great people to work with
Cons
recently lots of organizational changes
TransAlta 2019-03-20 15:24 PDT![TransAlta Logo]()
"Stabilizing from sustained period of change"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Pay is fair. Vacation is adequate and encouraged. Strong desire to succeed as individuals and an organization. Weathered the worst of the storm.
Cons
Uncertainty for many as organization continues to evolve. Change is not uncommon. Have to adapt to new conditions often.
Advice to Management
Continue to pay down corporate debt. Difficult decisions and uncomfortable situations will subside eventually. Be a pioneer among your peers. Get outside of the box.
TransAlta 2019-03-19 08:11 PDTHelpful (1)
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"They are trying to restructure Company"
StarStarStarStarStarI worked at TransAlta full-time
Pros
The people you work with
Cons
Pretty dirty place to work, Working around coal dust all the time.
There are not enough people there to handle work load, still laying off people, you get the work of the guy who just got layed off plus your work that you have to do.TransAlta 2019-02-24 11:09 PSTHelpful (3)
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"Company going bankrupt in the next twelve months"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than a year)
Pros
Somehow they manage to keep the paycheques from bouncing
Cons
Look at the ten most recent reviews on Glassdoor...they are all negative.
- Management is short-sighted
- Pay is not competitive
- Layoffs and employee transfers every 3-4 months
- They will say anything to get you into the door
- Toxic, toxic, toxic work culture
- Company keeps piling on debt with not plan to repay (Public data)
- CEO gets paid 3x the average utility company CEO and has been growing earnings at -100% over the past two years (Public data)Advice to Management
- Be honest and transparent with employees
TransAlta 2019-01-26 22:06 PSTHelpful (1)
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"Unscrupulous business practices."
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than 5 years)
Pros
Paycheques haven't been withheld yet.
Cons
Doesn't negotiate compensation in an honest fashion.
Moves goal line after annual incentive plan goals have been approved and achieved to prevent payout.
Takes full advantage of current Alberta job market by laying off and redistributing workloads while refusing to negotiate compensation. Acknowledges compensation is below market averages while refusing to even offer rate of inflation increases.
Devalues and demoralizes employees at every available opportunity.Advice to Management
Don't let your children know what you do for a living.
TransAlta 2019-01-23 09:18 PSTHelpful (2)
![TransAlta Logo]()
"RUN....Run as fast and as far away as you possibly can."
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than 10 years)
Pros
Knowledgeable people; diverse work and an interesting industry.
Cons
The board has allowed the CEO to inflate an oversized and overpaid executive team. Shareholder value is being syphoned into personal wealth with impunity. No long term strategy to address debt and secure growth. The company is destined to plod along until purchase or obscurity.
Advice to Management
Shareholders need to step up to secure a board of directors that will actually do something to stop the insanity.
TransAlta 2019-01-22 06:31 PST![TransAlta Logo]()
"The favouritism and lack of consistency between actions and talk is soul sucking."
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI worked at TransAlta full-time (More than 10 years)
Pros
Relationships with colleagues and interesting work.
Cons
Lack of integrity from senior leadership
Advice to Management
Please don’t write blogs outlining expectations for employees then turn around and take the exact opposite action.
TransAlta 2019-01-21 21:26 PSTHelpful (11)
![TransAlta Logo]()
"A disaster of a company"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI have been working at TransAlta full-time (More than 5 years)
Pros
I can't think of any other positive point about being here than the chance to work with a handful of experienced employees who know the sector really well. For some inexplicable reason, TransAlta has managed to hire some of the amazing talent pool the company has. They never last long enough though.
Cons
With a couple of exceptions, the entire management team at TransAlta should be fired. They confuse leadership with micromanaging and bossing people around while never being there for them. Every manager "manages up" instead of being there for their teams. The mentality of the upper ranks is behind by decades. No matter how good you are, somebody else ends up taking credit for it and you get NO recognition. It is a real miracle this company is still around. I can't think of a single coworker I have spoken with lately who isn't looking for a new job.
Advice to Management
Why is the Board of Directors allowing the management team at TransAlta to destroy such a long-lasting Alberta company year after year? Maybe the Board needs to be fired as well.
TransAlta 2018-11-08 07:01 PSTHelpful (5)
![TransAlta Logo]()
"Stay away"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookDisapproves of CEOI worked at TransAlta full-time (Less than a year)
Pros
You collect a paycheck and hours of work are ok
Cons
Constant layoffs
No job satisfaction
Wages are extremely low
Poor staff and company culture
Inexperienced management making poor decisionsAdvice to Management
Need to value your employees and not treat them poor. Mentor young managers because they lack empathy and experience,
TransAlta 2018-10-11 08:18 PDT
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