It's like a bad dream that still makes me flinch - IT Employee Akron Children's Employee Review

1.0
5 Sept 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The mission and rest of the hospital is great. You can truly tell the medical staff love what they do and have a passion for helping the children and the community. The opportunity to learn in the beginning was great.

Cons

A ton of childish politics, red tape, back stabbing, gossiping, game playing, unearned favoritism, and an overall poisonous environment to be in. Run and don't look back. Upper IT management can't let go of the out-dated ways they did things elsewhere 10 years ago, they have no appreciation for personal life outside work, and they rule by fear. This fear trickles down to mid-level managers, who then make terrible, knee jerk decisions and run to satisfy upper IT management's (or some doctor's) ever changing whim, no matter how ridiculous. This leads to unmanagable deadlines, poorly implemented solutions, and lack of direction. There is no free thinking and no opportunity to learn because management is too paranoid and unreasonable. These are the reasons waves of skilled (both short and long term) employees and managers have packed their bags and left. Several middle IT managers are too inexperienced in management and are incapable of standing up for their team technically, too busy trying to please the lazy dead weight, and too interested in playing games with or intimidating their own people. They pick their favorites by whomever will tell them what they want to hear regardless of how inaccurate it is and let them break all the rules they hold so stringently to others. Rather than including their SMEs in decision making for a given technology, they hold secret meetings with their favorites who know little to nothing about the technology and let them call the shots, resulting in millions of dollars in waste that's just swept under the rug. Their idea of a promotion or recognition is to pat you on the back and then slap you in the face, or just thank someone else. When you've given them all your blood, sweat, and tears, they wonder why you don't give more. When you express your concerns or dissatisfaction, all you get is lip service, or worse - flat out lies. Raises are a joke and pay is below market. Training is for the faves or those that cry the most. If you work hard, you'll just get abused. When you do leave, you better give four weeks notice otherwise you will lose your hard-earned vacation pay.

Explore other reviews about Akron Children's

5.0
11 Apr 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great management, good pay, great coworkers

Cons

None that I can think of!

2.0
27 Feb 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Providers and clinical staff genuinely care for the children coming in and out of the hospital. My review has nothing to do with the actual patient care that is given here.

Cons

If you’re considering a job within ISD, save yourself the trouble and look elsewhere. This isn’t coming from a bitter ex-employee — I genuinely enjoyed much of my time here. This is a warning from someone who watched this department deteriorate over the last 5-6 years. Leadership is filled with yes men and women who have zero interest in protecting the people who actually do the work. Escalating an issue or concern amounts to nothing. Project timelines are set by people who have no idea what’s realistic, and the CIO is so far removed from day-to-day operations that expectations are incredibly high when there aren’t enough resources to get the job done. There is no career growth here — they won’t pay competitive salaries to attract qualified new talent, and they won’t promote the experienced people they already have. Internal hires are continuously blocked which makes it impossible for anyone to grow. Instead, they’ve resorted to outsourcing ISD positions because it’s cheaper than valuing their workforce. But don’t worry — there’s always a fresh email announcing another manager or director climbing the ladder. Senior leadership continues to take care of themselves just fine. The people on the ground? Not so much.

2
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