Varied and impactful work, but high turnover issues - Operations Manager Washington Business Week Employee Review

WBW is an organization that has been in Washington for a long time and their community presence and representation reflects that. The organization as a whole right now is at a turning point for the better! I am excited to see how they change and adapt in the coming years.

WBW is a tight but small team. The work can be lonely sometimes but the payoff of seeing it all come together over the summer programs will always make it worth it!

The mission of WBW is a great one and seeing the achievements of students is very rewarding.

While the mission of Washington Business Week is admirable and a great opportunity for high school students, working for this organization was the most stressful and unfavorable working experience I have ever had. Working at WBW, be prepared to work extremely long hours (you are salaried so they can work you to the bone), be called at all hours of the day and night (or possibly even while you are on vacation), and be verbally harassed by management. It is very telling that the organization cannot keep staff longer than a year or two, as the staff that are fantastic get burnt out quickly due to their 10+ hour days, and the staff that are not up to their standards get let go—especially the program recruiters if you are not able to recruit students fast enough. The organization has no cross-training, so be prepared to be thrown to the wolves and struggle your way through as no one has time to train you, or they don’t know everything your predecessor was tasked to perform. When you and your coworker have to tell the Board President that there needs to be a clear budget and a strategic plan created, you know that the organization has been mismanaged. The absolute worst part of working for WBW was the unprofessionalism and harassment by Board Members and the Executive Director. Whether it be the Executive Director talking about your coworkers behind their backs, or snapping at you in front of others, or Board Members yelling at each other during Board meetings, the level of unprofessionalism in the work place is something that I have never encountered at another organization. If you think that you can complain to HR, think again, as the Executive Director and Board Members are the HR Department. If you are looking for a great place to work where you are a valued member of the team, I would look elsewhere.