Is ESS a good company to work for?

ESS has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 1,852 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 4% over the last 12 months. 65% of employees would recommend working at ESS to a friend and 50% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about ESS have been left by employees working as Teacher , Subsitute Teacher and Building Substitute Teacher .

Does ESS pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, ESS employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at ESS. This rating has decreased by 8% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at ESS?

65% of ESS employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated ESS 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.3 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at ESS?

Substitute Teacher (985) , Paraprofessional (90) , Long Term Substitute Teacher (33) , Teacher (28) , Special Education Paraprofessional (25) , Subsitute Teacher (24) , Substitute (20) , Recruiter (18) , Certified Substitute Teacher (17) , Account Manager (16) , Building Substitute Teacher (16) , Substitute Paraprofessional (14) , Substitute/Guest Teacher (9) , District Manager (7) , Teacher Assistant (6)

What are the pros of working at ESS according to real employee reviews?

"Flexible schedule and easy to find daily jobs" ((in 98 reviews)); "Biweekly pay and a flexible schedule" ((in 82 reviews)); "Flexible hours You know your pay upfront Paid every other week pick up assignments suddenly or ahead of time" ((in 48 reviews)); "Also great people to work with in the school system" ((in 20 reviews)); "Flexibility is great and the change everyday is great" ((in 17 reviews))

What are the cons of working at ESS according to real employee reviews?

"The pay is low but this is why the company has a lot of partnered schools" ((in 281 reviews)); "No benefits unless you want your entire paycheck to go towards the benefit plan they offer." ((in 89 reviews)); "No training for Special Needs." ((in 32 reviews)); "Poor communication and support" ((in 24 reviews)); "To much work for the bad salary" ((in 18 reviews))

What are the top reviewed ESS locations?

Cherry Hill , Philadelphia , Jacksonville , Savannah , Elizabeth , Portland , Frisco , Denton , Newark , Atlantic City , Toms River , Little Rock , New Brunswick , Union , Roanoke , Chattanooga , Houston , Englewood , Piscataway , Camden , Hampton , Dallas , Hillsboro , Tampa , Edison , Jersey City , Woodbridge , Burlington , Lehi , Orem

ESS reviews

3.7

65% would recommend to a friend

(1,485 total reviews)

Buddy Helton

60% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.7

Diversity & inclusion

3.3

Culture & values

3.2

Senior management

3.1

Career opportunities

2.7

Compensation and benefits

ESS has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 1,485 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The ESS employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Human Resources & Staffing industry (3.8 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Aug 1, 2025

Difficult Application Process

Substitute teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexibility, choose when and where you want to work

Cons

Very difficult application process with almost no support provided

ESS Response

10mo

We greatly appreciate your taking the time to give us your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you found the application process difficult. We will work to make improvements.

1.0

Jul 29, 2025

ESS is a scam company to work for

Substitute teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are no pros to working for ESS. Biggest regret of my career was working for ESS.

Cons

Everything. ESS doesn't pay a livable wage the pay is terrible. ESS always have problems paying you on time then send out nasty emails to everyone asking you not to contact them about your paycheck. ESS doesn't take accountability for anything. ESS has a very high turnover rate. even among local management. The staff are rude, unprofessional, yell at you and talk to you any kind of way. ESS doesn't provide references so its like you never worked for the company no matter how hard you worked. Local staff is never available when you need them everyone is "out of the office". Its like they run from helping you cause its a scam company. The students, other teachers, and principals mistreat substitute teachers, and nobody holds them accountable it's an emotionally and mentally abusive work environment. Biggest regret of my career was working for ESS.

ESS Response

10mo

We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience. Your feedback is deeply concerning and not reflective of the standards we strive to uphold. We understand how frustrating issues with pay, communication, and support can be, and we take these concerns seriously. If you’re open to it, we’d appreciate the opportunity to learn more so we can address these issues internally. Please feel free to reach out to our team directly at HRHelp@ESS.com.

5.0

Jul 22, 2025

Love the flexibility.

Substitute teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule. You work the jobs you choose. If you don't want to work, dont choose a shift. This makes work like balance a breeze for me.

Cons

Pay is not provided prior to the shift being worked. Perhaps it's me, but it seems to change up.

ESS Response

10mo

Thanks for your review! We’re thrilled to hear how you’ve been enjoying your experience as an ESS employee.

Viewing 118 - 120 of 1,485 Reviews

Jobs at ESS

HOUSEKEEPER (FULL TIME)

ESS Substitute Teacher

Belzoni, MS

View job

Operations Support Specialist

ESS Substitute Teacher

ESS

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Difficult Application Process

ESS is a scam company to work for

Love the flexibility.

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