Capilano University Employee Reviews

Great place to work - HR/Management is a mess though. While you'll likely have a positive experience in your work area, the overall University workplace experience will frustrate you. To clarify, the way in which the organization operates is uninspiring and frustrating.

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Great place to work!

Research Assistant (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 14 November 2023

Great place for a student work opportunity. As a Research Assistant, I had the opportunity to engage in interesting work toward projects that helped to propel the university forward.

Pros

Flexibility, fair pay, reasonable workload

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Insights into Capilano University

Based on 19 survey responses

What people like

Inclusive work environment
Feeling of personal appreciation
Time and location flexibility

It's amazing as I am a student so I am learning new skills and adapting the new culture

Business Administration (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 7 September 2023

Eco friendly environment Staff is goodExploring new culture There are different class an different areas for the students so that they can also relax

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Fun workplace

Administrative Assistant (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 25 July 2023

Great opportunity for gain experience everyone was great and a great training Management were really nice and so friendly co workers and enjoyed my time there

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Great Place to Work

Management (Current Employee) - North Vancouver - 18 July 2023

Everyone who I have met working here is so great and really puts there heart into their work. I recognize that there is a strike going on and it is a challenging time but The people in the office here are working tirelessly to prepare for their employees return to work. They seem to genuinely care about the wellbeing of their folks. There is a lot of work to be done in terms of process and moving things forward but there is an eagerness to do so and an autonomy to be creative. I don't feel like my suggestions are ever shot down. There is a culture shift going on right now and it is a positive one!

Pros

Great people, interesting work, values driven, purposeful job, advancement opportunities, perks

Cons

Salary could be more competitive although I believe they are working on that!

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It is degrading year over year.

Faculty :) (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 16 July 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?It is run like a high school. Teach the class get your money.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?The administration does not really care about faculty. What is the work environment and culture like at the company?It is becoming like a garrison in which the faculty are foot soldiers.What is a typical day like for you at the company?A strike happens every few years.

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I have seen 3 unions strike 2 times

Office Manager (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 3 June 2023

Senior management is a disaster. There is a general us and them climate between academia and management. The contractual arrangement between exempt staff and the employer changed and there have been a rash of firings in the past. The entire management team changed in all departments. The friendly environment of a small, local university that supports students not yet ready for mega-higher-education is completely gone and replaced with the international student paper mill.

Pros

Work from home flexibility for some, great on-site daycare

Cons

Dishonest managers, incompetence, zero growth potential (personal and institutional)

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appreciative environment

Research Assistant (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 14 March 2023

Easy going staff. Clear instructions on tasks and frequent follow-ups. I have been working with CapU since I was a student. After they saw me excel in my tasks, they extended my contract as an appreciation

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Great place to work

Office Assistant (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 17 January 2023

Relaxed culture. Most people who work at Capilano University stay for a very long time. Most people are unionized. It's not a very competitive work environment. More casual. People take a lot of time off.

Pros

Relaxed culture

Cons

Not competitive

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Great job but retired and moved out of the city.

Music Stores Clerk II (Former Employee) - North Vancouver - 9 January 2023

I loved working with the students and faculty. I was lucky to have worked in the School of Performing Arts where I was surrounded by talented students playing music all day. I always felt supported by HR and made some wonderful friends at work.

Pros

Working with students

Cons

Too many conflicts among some other staff and faculty which put a strain the workplace.

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Jobs at Capilano University

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Early Childhood Educator

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30+ days ago

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Indigenous Student Support Advisor

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Good company to work at

Advisor (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 5 January 2023

It’s a great community of professionals; however, salary is quite low to compare to other public institutions. Benefits package is decent. Management is great

Pros

Life work balance

Cons

Salary

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Student Employee

Student Digital Ambassador (SDA) (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 14 November 2022

I had expected to be more important to the work I did but barely any students knew to come for support. The wage is the same for all student employees and there is no career development while being a student employee.

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Fun and collaborative

Student Digital Ambassador (SDA) (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 25 May 2022

I worked as a student employee and was in a very supportive environment. My work-life balance was amazing no negatives. The culture felt unnecessarily competitive but it never hindered my work.

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Administration does not listen to staff concerns, and they do not appreciate good workers.

Administrative Assistant (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 26 April 2022

Administration does not listen to staff concerns, and they do not appreciate good workers.Politics. Appearances can be very deceiving. High turnover. Very disappointing.

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Work on campus while completing your degree!

Student Ambassador (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 28 February 2022

- positive work environment- supportive colleagues and supervisors- flexible work schedule- able to work on campus while also working towards your degree

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I loved working for Capilano. The colleague were super and helpful.

Instructor, Continuing Education (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 17 February 2022

Working for Capilano was an great experience. My colleagues were great instructors. I had many international students in my classes. I gain a special interest in students from other countries and enjoyed learning about the culture.

Pros

Excellent working condition and helpful colleagues

Cons

I didn’t have any cons. I really enjoyed it

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Relaxed enviroment with low opportunity for growth and low wages

Supervisor (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 10 August 2021

Capilano university is a relatively good organization to work for. The work environment is relaxed and there is a good work life balance. The management team is relatively competent. Their is very little room for advancement or growth within the IT department. Very little job training. Most of the work is silo based work. Be aware.

Pros

Relaxed enviroment, Good management overall

Cons

Low wages, No room for advancement or growth, Silo based work

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Culture isn’t great

Academic Advisor (Former Employee) - Registrars Office - 27 July 2021

I liked my role but not the style of the managers and supervisors because of their lack of experience, leadership and collaboration.My role could’ve been rewarding role but I was working with individuals who have no clue what they were doing, and I felt withdrawn and disappointed. I worked with a supervisor who had no idea what the work entailed; and made no efforts to collaborate and support the team. There was always people talking about each other behind their backs and bringing on negative energy at the work place, which is what drove me away. This university’s academic advising unit needs a lot of work and training. It is a crucial part of student success and they lack quality. I was amused with the level of u professionalism I experienced on a daily basis. I couldn’t cope with a culture, where there was so much of negative energy.

Pros

Benefits are quite generous

Cons

Micro-management, lack of leadership, incompetent managers

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Poor management from the top

Project Manager (Current Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 5 April 2021

Management mind-set and practices are outdated in IT.No project management practices in place and teams not keen to change as there are too senior team members about to retire.Poor decision making and focus in the non-important matters.Friendly staff.

Pros

Friendly environment

Cons

Very poor IT management

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Don't buy into the rosy picture...

Manager (Former Employee) - North Vancouver, BC - 31 October 2020

This university claims to be all about promoting Indigenous culture and diversity yet somehow the ENTIRE upper leadership (including the First Nations Department) is composed of white people. The upper management is incompetent and apathetic to the average new employee and will only back whoever is nearest to suck up to them. There is no organization or workflow or being rewarded for hard work. University claims your evaluations are based on performance when in reality it is all about power politic and senior HR talking behind your back and judging you superficially rather than objectively and with due process. There is a lot of backstabbing by that Department and many in the most senior positions need to be removed or fired. Just don't buy into the façade that this a fine place to work and that it is a fantastic "opportunity" to work here.

Pros

Benefits Package

Cons

Old Leadership Creating Toxic Work Environment Rather than Working

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Collaborative place to grow

Residence Advisor (Former Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 4 June 2020

Being an RA was very fulfilling but requires a lot of self-management, time management, and collaboration. It is not a regular job as it involves living where you work, tending to emergencies at all hours, and compensation is in Room and Board. The most enjoyable part of the job is getting to meet students from all walks of life and contribute to their experience in University through events, activities, and support.