WestEd reviews

3.8

76% would recommend to a friend

(195 total reviews)
avatar

Jannelle Kubinec

72% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

WestEd has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 195 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The WestEd employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

195 reviews
3.0
Jun 15, 2017

Great mission, poor structure

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are great people to work with and the mission is powerful

Cons

They organizational structure is weak and allows for power struggles

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WestEd Response
8y
Thank you for your honest opinion; we agree with you that there are amazing employees who work here and are glad you enjoyed your working environment. Our mission to improve success for every learner is a broad one, and necessitates a large network with growth and flexibility built in. As far as listening to employees, WestEd does ask for feedback via our periodic Employee Survey, and strives to implement or address employee suggestions and concerns as appropriate. I would also like to mention that our CEO, Glen Harvey, has a well-established open door policy for all employees, regardless of position. Additionally, if an employee prefers to remain anonymous, we have the “Ask Glen” system to provide that avenue for feedback and questions. These concerns are addressed in an all-staff forum. Thank you for your work while employed with WestEd.
3.0
May 5, 2017

Ok place to work, depends on which department

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fast-paced, great co-workers, Immediate office staff very friendly

Cons

Management in Standardize Test Department very difficult to work with Communication does not trickle down Higher level coordinators lacking in job skills, forcing lower-tiered positions to go above and above, without compensation reflecting such uptake in additional task

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WestEd Response
8y
Thank you for your honest feedback; we appreciate hearing specific suggestions about possible improvements we can strive towards. I am sorry to hear your experience with your particular program was not ideal. We are proud of our management team, and are always seeking ways to improve and communicate more clearly and more regularly with all WestEd employees. Thank you for your work while employed with WestEd.
4.0
Apr 25, 2017

Idiosyncratic Non-profit

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

WestEd is staffed with dedicated individuals who care about children, education and doing good. Most employees are smart and talented. Working conditions are good. Benefits are excellent. Staff are provided with the basics of what they need to do their jobs and mostly clear direction.

Cons

Being a quasi-governmental agency means WestEd is kind of an old school company. There are lots of levels of bureaucracy and rules and not a lot of room for creativity and new ideas. I think management is interested in changing that, but the bureaucratic inertia makes it hard. There is a lack of trust across programs; this lack of trust starts with senior management.

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WestEd Response
8y
Thank you for your candid feedback about your experience working at WestEd. We always appreciate hearing from our current employees, and want to thank you for the hard work you do improving educational access and quality for teachers and learners. I am glad you recognize the talented individuals who work here. It is important to recognize that the term “management” can mean several things, and it is not entirely clear from your comment what level of management within the organization you refer to. Glen and the entire Executive Team work hard to help foster a sense of trust in WestEd and across and within individual programs. It is important to remember that WestEd spans multiple states with a diverse employee population all of whom are included in the “bureaucracy” of which you write. To that end, we often have some tradeoffs for our continuous growth and increasing revenue each year. Being a Joint Powers Agency (JPA) means that we have a different set of rules that govern us, versus other similar research organizations. Some are distinct advantages. Other rules and regulations, however, may be much more complicated and insert a set of standards that may at times seem cumbersome. Though the Executive Team is working towards a more flexible approach to the work we do, certain programs have more ability to change than others based on who the funders are and where the work takes place. We appreciate your suggestion to make it easier to work across programs; this in particular is a goal for the near future. Again, thank you for your feedback and we hope that you will continue to communicate regarding your areas of concern. We encourage all employees to discuss their concerns with Glen Harvey using her open-door policy, with their manager and with Human Resources.
Viewing 142 - 144 of 195 Reviews

Glassdoor has 214 WestEd reviews submitted anonymously by WestEd employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if WestEd is right for you.