The Y (YMCA) reviews

3.8

71% would recommend to a friend

(21,897 total reviews)

Suzanne McCormick

79% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

The Y (YMCA) has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 21,897 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
3.0
Feb 4, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Friendly please to work at. Coworkers and members are easygoing, Management is known to make attempts to accommodate work/life balance.

Cons

I believe the YMCA is not as focused on Christian values as it once was because it has increasingly embraced the prevailing cultural norms. While the YMCA historically had strong ties to Christian principles, providing spiritual development alongside physical and mental well-being, modern societal shifts have led to a broader, more inclusive approach. In an effort to appeal to a diverse audience and remain relevant in a secular world, the organization may have diluted its emphasis on specific religious doctrines. Instead, it prioritizes inclusivity, community service, and holistic wellness, reflecting the values of contemporary society. This shift reflects the YMCA's adaptation to changing times, but it also raises questions about the organization's original mission and identity

1.0
Aug 18, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Co-workers are great people, and I guess you get a free membership.

Cons

The organization is run very poorly. Most of the problems that we can think of start and end with management and their horrible communication. How much people dislike management, and the job in general, is an almost daily conversational topic. The Y's are all incredibly understaffed and so we're expected to pick up extra shifts (at any branch in our half of the city) to cover for management's poor scheduling and then we get in trouble for having overtime because we weren't supposed to take it. To make matters worse they are cutting hours at the busiest locations, and adding shifts at the smaller locations (that already complain about not having enough work to do) because now the larger locations don't have the staff to answer the phones and they need someone to answer the overflow calls. There is no room for growth within the company, and they will 90% of the time hire an external applicant instead of a more qualified internal applicant. Usually, this is to replace one of the few good managers that left because they were also sick of how poorly run everything is. There are also tons of "safety" policies that are out-dated and only serve to breed conflict. Naturally as Member Services we are expected to diffuse conflict while also enforcing the same rules that create the conflicts in the same place. Then, while we enforce these same rules that we can be fired for not enforcing (as we are reminded often) the managers will just walk in and cancel the rule on the spot just to avoid conflict. Suddenly, instead of enforcing the rules we just look like the rude employees that are trying to make things more difficult for everyone. On top of all that (and more) we are severely under payed for the amount of abuse we receive from customers and management itself. Most of us are so sick of being at the Y we don't even have the will to use our memberships because we can't stand the idea of being here for any longer than we have to be.

5.0
Aug 2, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The atmosphere is unbeatable. Its so rewarding socializing with children and having them remember your name.

Cons

Management expects full-time commitment/passion for part-time, minimum wage workers.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 21,897 Reviews

Glassdoor has 23,846 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.