Canstar Reviews

Pros

It’s very social, some incredible managers (in the wider marketing team, not sure about other departments), and if you have a solid manager like I had you will have clear career progression. You can also choose the training path you want to go down with budget allocated for conferences and training. Would recommend Canstar as a great place to work!

Pros

Free breakfast and people are friendly for the most part. The office spaces are nice even though they get noisy. There is a team to blame most of the time but if its not the most likeable person complaining no one does anything to stop it. I reckon everything will go well for you if you keep your head down and get through until you can get a good job. Don't let the great place to work ads fool you.

Advice to Management

What's the point?
You have no idea what is going on.

Pros

For the most part I enjoyed my time here. The work and major projects are, for the most part, interesting.

The people you work with will become your friends and there is a lively atmosphere with something always going on, so socially you are never bored. Most (Stress, most) people are easy to get along with and collegiate, making cross-team cohesion good.

The office spaces are bright, comfortable and clean, and the company opened floor 22 at the right time as floor 21 was bursting at the seams with staff overflow. When staff from another building moved back to 143 Turbot there were some cultural clashes, but most issues have been ironed out.

You will likely become more financially literate working here, which is a plus. Many people have gone from intern - casual - full time fairly quickly, giving graduates an opportunity. This makes for an incredibly young workforce, but still, the opportunities are there.

If you can drown out the noise (both literally and figuratively) and just focus on your work, you will likely have a great time here.

Advice to Management

Ask yourselves why turnover rate is so high, it's incredible. The free food and other fringe 'benefits' only go so far with employee satisfaction

Pros

There are great immediate benefits for employees - free breakfast, half price massages, fresh fruit, birthday leave and being allowed to take a longer lunch break to go to the gym. Every new employee attends an induction day to learn about other areas of the business and also a "New Starters Lunch"with other new starters and with the executives. A monthly staff update is held (with pizza) where different areas of the business present what has been happening, There are often small events organised to celebrate recent wins and regular staff drinks and Social Club events.

The HR and Executive teams are doing a lot to drive a cultural shift and more emphasis is being placed on how you meet your targets and not just whether you met them. More money is being spent on training and developing employees and all managers attend a "new leader"course. They are also implementing more initiatives for employee health (both physically and mentally) and are constantly asking for suggestions on what else they can do.

There are a lot of opportunities to develop skills, quite often internships lead to casual positions while studying which then lead to full time graduate positions after graduation.

Advice to Management

Continue to develop staff but also don't be afraid to enforce policies. Make sure everyone is treated with the same level of respect and is held to accountability for their behaviour.

Pros

I enjoyed my time at Canstar and it had the usual pieces of office politics and things that are difficult, but it was no more than most other work places. The company is going well and growing but has a few problems associated with that. All in all it's a pretty decent place to work.

There's a lot of bad reviews on here that essentially come from losers and freaks who are bitter at their employer, but take no responsibility for their own career paths. They simply can't believe that working in a data driven finance company just is never going to be that thrilling, unless you're in a higher position. They have an appalling (and galling) lack of understanding of the company's position in the market.

They expect to be paid through the roof despite working average hours, and, to be frank, being below average intelligence. They can't understand why they are not paid high end wages like the big end of town. Newsflash, this company is not the big end of town, its small but growing. But, if you have actual talent and intelligence, you could work at a company that pays more. But you don't. So maybe work harder.

The internal reviews of the company actually score far better than here- so prospective employees should realise that the people leaving bad reviews on here are a self selecting minority of people that have never taken responsibility for anything they've ever done in their life and are intransigent to the suggestion that maybe, they ain't all that great.

They also can't understand that promotion opportunities here need some decent qualifications. You're most likely going to be promoted by leaving the firm, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Pros

I work in IT at Canstar and am approaching my 3rd month. Can hands down say Canstar is a great place to work, from the beers at 4pm on a Friday to the great co workers, monthly massages and occasional morning brekfasts/lunches held. Aside from the great culture, the work amount is spot on - not too much to be stressed, but not too little to be looking to kill time. Also a pro that Canstar are willing to invest into you and your studies, and are happy to help you learn other skills at your time here.

Advice to Management

My direct manager is great, she mentors me and helps me learn the skills I need to do for certain tasks - even though sometimes im completely lost being new she is very helpful and patient. The executives are honestly great leaders in the business, especially coming from a company where if you'd pass an exec you'd try and turn the other way. Great that the execs are so friendly and approachable, will even get a beer in with you on a Friday afternoon

Pros

Canstar has a positive and personal culture. Nearly all employees are friendly and encouraging. Canstar also has plenty of little perks that make work fun, such as birthday morning teas, celebratory lunches and cheap massages. Canstar also offers a great work-life balance and is usually pretty flexible with alternative working arrangements.

Advice to Management

Management should realise that while the little perks are nice, they are relatively superficial if employees don't feel respected in other regards, particularly remuneration and promotion opportunity.

Pros

Free breakfast, established company and strong branding in the industry will provide the opportunity to further your career, coworkers were pleasant and helpful

Advice to Management

Your employees are your best brand ambassadors. Bad word of mouth marketing spreads like wildfire.

Pros

Rapid growth means work is interesting and constantly changing. Many great people and a lot of responsibility given quickly to people in all roles

Advice to Management

Be honest and upfront about salaries in job ads and interviews to minimise frustration and distrust. Treat people with respect regardless of their gender and ego. Stop valuing the opinion of only those with overinflated egos (team commercial). Replace the sales team with people who care beyond themselves and their money. You have potential to become a great place to work if you recognise the greatness of your people doing great work but not blowimg their own horns.

Pros

Good culture and openly inclusive environment

Advice to Management

Automate all your processes - the data team are irrelevant