Houston Zoo Reviews

3.7

71% would recommend to a friend

(109 total reviews)

Deborah M. Cannon

78% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Houston Zoo has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 109 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Houston Zoo employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, entertainment and recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

109 reviews
1.0
31 May 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- I always felt good working towards a mission of conservation and sustainability. - Ability to go on Zoo grounds during work for breaks, and bring family friends free of charge - Most co-workers are just as driven by the mission

Cons

- Horrible management decisions. Instead of rewarding loyal employees already within the company, decisions were made to bring in outside employees, who fired and dissolved multiple departments indiscriminately. Not only that, but the new employees then bring in their own people from previous companies, who are not passionate about the mission and only care about holding an auspicious title at a fun, interesting work place. - There is little oversight between the C-suite and department managers. Most have free reign to make stupid, hasty decisions, and then wonder why the zoo is behind on attendance and memberships purchased. - Incompetent and unqualified HR department. They prefer making sure that bottom lines are met and executives are happy, rather than keeping all employees in check. - The C-suite would rather hire managers who nod yes to every decision rather than question any authority or plans. - Greenwashing. Much of what the zoo boasts is pure virtue signaling, with their 'initiatives.' Hosting a children's activity about one initiative is not real change. - Poor salaries/pay. The Zoo leverages its power as an interesting work place to get away with poor pay, less benefits, and asking employees to work more than they should.

3.0
11 May 2010

A Good Idea Wasted

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I like the fact that this organization puts a lot of resources into its stated missions involving conservation and education about the natural world. Most of the people who work there seem genuinely in love with their work with the animals and committed to the organization's goals. Lots of smart, joyful, talented people there.

Cons

The politics are frightful--asking questions is like walking through a minefield. Many of the people in mid-management whose work does not involve the animals do not seem to even like or be interested in the natural world, which makes me wonder why they work at the zoo. Also they drive us like slaves. Everything must always be faster and faster, longer hours with pressure to clock out early but stay late. Any mistakes are treated with a heavy hand and threats to your job. Double binds are the leadership style, and the rules shift like sand.

2.0
17 Dec 2022

Lackluster management

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing zookeepers and operations staff, very tight-knit team that moves heaven and earth for the visitors, animals and zoo grounds. The majority of employees are friendly and sincere.

Cons

In the past few years, on multiple occasions I have stood up for science and lost. The animal leadership at this zoo often make exceedingly poor decisions, mostly due to their exclusion of keeper staff in the decision-making process. Failure to recognize expertise of front-line staff (people who best know animal behavior and animal needs) has led to knee-jerk reactions, heartbreaking mistakes and low morale.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 109 Reviews

Glassdoor has 120 Houston Zoo reviews submitted anonymously by Houston Zoo employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Houston Zoo is right for you.