The corporate structure that requires many levels of "approval" make it challenging to make decisions or changes on a local level. In my division there are as many managers as their are front line employees. This creates a situation where managers spend most of their time micro-managing employees to justify their roles as managers. The micro-managing discourages employees from thinking on their own.
Another disadvantage is that in order to advance within ARAMARK, you must follow a pre-set career path within the company. As an individual with more education and professional experience than those who manage him, I am frustrated. Since I hired in at a position that was below my skill level, I would have to wait several years to get back to the same career level that I was at before taking this position. During the interview process, professional growth and advancement was stressed as being an enormous opportunity. Due to this "opportunity" I was willing to take a position below my skill and pay level due to the "opportunity" for advancement. Now that I have been with the company for about 6 months, I am aware of the fact that it would take years to get back to the same level that I was at with my previous employer. This is very disheartening. I took a paycut in order to have the ARAMARK "opportunity" to advance. I'm not going to wait several years just to move into a mid level management position. I regret my decision to join ARAMARK for this very reason. I will be leaving within a year.
