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      The Y (YMCA)

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      The Y (YMCA) reviews

      3.9

      71% would recommend to a friend

      (21,936 total reviews)

      Suzanne McCormick

      78% approve of CEO

      58% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      The Y (YMCA) has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 21,936 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The Y (YMCA) employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the ONG y Organizaciones sin fines de lucro industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      22K reviews
      1.0
      Feb 13, 2009

      Don't work for the YMCA unless you are a high school student and want to make very little extra money.

      Instructor
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Very little reasons to work for the YMCA. For me the main one was flexibility and little hours.

      Cons

      No communication whatsoever. Everyone is pretty much on their own. The only people they hire are unreliable 16- 18yr olds who call in sick all of the time. The facility is extremely old and even though the gentleman that works in maintenance does the best job he is given very little to work with as far as money for repair supplies and support. The management is a joke. All they do is sit around in the office talking on the phone which always appears to be personal calls and gossiping about the rest of the employees that are under them.

      5.0
      Feb 10, 2009

      Great place to began a career in social work.

      Group leader/instructional assistant
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      It depends on which aspect of the YMCA you work for. I was a part-time worker for the after-school program at the Anaheim YMCA. There is little training, it is more learn-as-you-go. We worked with kids as group leaders, aka instructional assistants, in the after-school program who were usually low-income students. Some of the kids are initially hard to deal with, especially if you don't have prior experience or you have a naive perspective, but this is because the kids are used to seeing a lot of adults and workers come and go. If you make it past the first month, then you will have no problem moving forward in this career. You will also become very attached to the children. And parents are very supportive. If you have a problem in dealing with a child, the parents will most likely be on your side. Coworkers and supervisors are also very helpful and understanding, especially to new employees. I would have worked there longer, but I had to move when I transferred to a university.

      Cons

      The only downside comes if you have no experience working with kids or if you have the idea that kids are innocent and nice. You have to remember that you are an authority figure and not the children's friend. That does not mean you have to be difficult. But when a child acts out, you have to consistently discipline them and be firm or else they will not take you seriously. I have seen a lot of workers leave because they weren't able to handle the stress of the environment. Some of these kids have other issues in their lives, so you the YMCA sets up regular orientation and training programs to help you deal with the children. The downsides aren't caused by the YMCA itself, but the nature of the work.

      2.0
      Feb 8, 2009

      Bureaucratic, unresponsive organization

      Membership director
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      It's a decent place to get started in your career if you are seeking to get into health club management, child care or community non-profit work. Employees have access to fitness centers and fellow employees are young and friendly. If you can't afford to join a health club, you may want to work here as a way to gain access.

      Cons

      Outside experience is not valued and the organization is very insulated and non-receptive to new ideas or concepts that do not come from within the YMCA. Also, while the organization is very friendly to gay and alternative-lifestyle individuals there is a corresponding discrimination against those who are not. The organization is also perpetually understaffed and exempt employees carry the load and are typically required to work additional hours without compensation or comp time. Front-line employees are left to deal with member complaints while senior staff hide in their offices and are unresponsive to concerns.

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      ReviewsThe Y (YMCA) reviews

      Glassdoor has 23,887 The Y (YMCA) reviews submitted anonymously by The Y (YMCA) employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if The Y (YMCA) is right for you.