What Brisbane workers are saying
Reviews from current and former employees of local companies
Well, this is fun. Thank you to the regular reader who sent me some links to employee reviews of selected businesses.
I was previously unaware of this corner of the Seek jobs-listing site, where staff members, and former staffers, go to vent (or even say nice things) about their workplace, ostensibly to inform wannabe colleagues.
If you are applying for work and want to know what a company is like — or you want a fun read — I recommend you check it out. But bear in mind that, as elsewhere on the web, it’s often people with agendas who make comments. And limit your time online, because it’s a rabbit hole.
Here’s just a taste, concentrating on my area of interest. (Note: I did a little editing here for comprehension purposes, but nothing that changes the thrust of the reviews.)
A one-star review from an employee of a Brisbane radio station:
I get it; it’s a business not a company that cares about staff.
The good things: Great work mates. Until they were all sacked so the CEO could make budget and pay himself a million-dollar salary.
The challenges: It’s a business & they care about the bottom line, not people. Don’t be fooled by all the “we care about you” nonsense. All the experienced & hard-working people were sacked to bring in inexperienced, young, cheap replacements. Then the ratings dropped [and] more good people were sacked because of budgets.
Another one-star review from a former employee of a national media corporation’s Brisbane office:
The sugar coat is nice but inside it’s quite rotten, needs a big overhaul.
The good things: colleagues mostly qualified for the job.
The challenges: The management … are good at organising meetings, and pointless training, [but] they have no field experience [and] have no idea about the challenges.
Same corporation, different person. A two-star review:
The challenges: Workload, staff undervalued, work culture designed to cause friction between staff.
Mister Brisbane is free to read, but if you appreciate what I’m doing here, and/or
at The Wrinkle and Radio Bert, you can buy me a coffee.
And for the fun of it, some random comments regarding a national media company (not necessarily the Brisbane outpost):
“A nightmare every single day.”
“Toxic workplace.”
“Very basic and deluded company to work for.”
“Bad, not worth the trauma working here.”
“I am glad I am out of there.”
“Trust me ... Look for something else.”
“The worst employment experience in my career.”
“Terrible.”
“Avoid.”
To be fair, that company did have quite a few positive reviews, but it also had an average of 2.7 stars out of five. If it were a movie, you’d think twice about going.
Disclosure: Brett Debritz has worked for some of the companies not named above.
P.S. Not that I ever planned to visit the Sky Deck at the Star Casino — because heights freak me out — I certainly won’t be going there now. That cracked glass is a genuine worry.
It’s tough when companies prioritize budgets over people. You might want to check out HiFive Star for managing your own work reputation or feedback. It helped me see things clearer and made some discussions easier.