sales associate

caviste

line cook

laborer

harvester

Frind Estate Winery

I had some good moments at Frind Winery. Representing such a recognizable brand made sales easier, and I was able to sharpen my skills in a fast-paced environment.

That said, my overall experience was disappointing. Even though I consistently met and exceeded targets, opened new accounts, and drove strong sales, recognition and fair compensation were lacking. At times I even used my own money to build displays and win restaurant placements in Kelowna and Vernon, which was never reimbursed.

The bonus policy was also applied in a way that felt unfair when leaving the company, which left me feeling undervalued for the work I had done. Communication from management did not always align with outcomes, creating uncertainty and mistrust.

Pros
– Recognizable brand that helps with sales
– Good opportunity to gain experience

Cons
– Cold, impersonal work environment
– Compensation practices that feel unclear and unfair
– Lack of recognition for achievements
– Limited job security
– Inconsistent management communication


My first summer at Frind was awesome. They were freshly opened and had a wonderful manager in Annies and an awesome set of staff. The environment was so fast-paced and stressful, but I found the overall job set to be enjoyable. Beyond our manger, no one really cared about the employees. Once the first manager was fired(for only personal reasons from what I heard), everything went downhill. Managers and employees came in and out the doors every day. Frind was always “understaffed” but hire 10 new people in one day and give everyone 10 hours a week. They made extensive changes to the business that they weren’t equipped for. Scheduling was a mess and management left no room for flexibility or a life outside of Frind. My experience started off so well and I was really rooting for Frind, the location is beautiful, the food was awesome and I loved (most of) my coworkers while I was there. But the way they run their business, treat their employees and select management is beyond me.

I worked at Frind Estate Winery as a laboratory technician for one year as part of the co-operative education program during my undergraduate studies at UBC Okanagan. During this time, I gained hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art laboratory using advanced analytical instrumentation. I was encouraged, trusted, and strongly supported by my lab manager and fellow lab members as I developed skills in sample preparation, instrumentation, and data analysis across a range of analytical techniques.
The laboratory emphasizes precision and quality in all aspects of sample analysis, including soil, plant, grape, and wine testing, providing employees with a high standard of training and practical experience. The work environment was fast-paced, yet positive and enjoyable, as I always felt supported by both my colleagues and management. 
I would recommend Frind to anyone who values hands-on experience and a collaborative environment.


Although the training was rushed, I found it to be understandable, but I did not feel as though I had adequate time to make sense of the material presented. Although I tried to make sense of all the notes available, I did not find the training documents to be sufficiently clear. In addition, my trainer told me that training for this position normally takes one month; however, I only had one week to train, so I was relaxed when the founder told me, "Let yourself have six months to figure this out." Still, the remote work of my bosses left me on my own after training was completed. As a result, I was let go around the two-month mark because I was unable to figure out the job.

The bad news is out, so here is the good news. It was a pleasure working with the people I met. Since I enjoyed working with my colleagues at Frind Winery, I will advocate for the people there, as they are all beautiful souls. My best wishes go out to them.

-High turnover rate. "Hire fast and fire faster" was a common quote, many long term and reliable employees were abruptly fired without cause and removed from the premises.
-Overworked and underpaid employees. Expectation to stay until the job is done without overtime, example set by management. Employees unfairly held responsible for things well above their position and paygrade. Highly stressful.
-Highly segregated environment. Production, lab, admin, and management rarely interact and adversely affects communication. 
-Absent management. Expect not to see your manager for the majority of the day, unless they need to  complain that the team needs to do better without having any solutions as to how to accomplish this.
-No room for growth or internal promotion, absolutely no employee development programs. 
-May see improvement in the next 2-3 years, for now, decision making seems questionable

What is the best part of working at the company?
Work culture and atmosphere is incredible. Management is fair and the staff are all very helpful and happy

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sometimes it can get quite busy and loud in the tasting room. But that just comes with the job

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Everyone that I work with is typically happy . Its definetly a vibe

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day starts off with quiet opening duties. Around  noon thats when guests start flooding in and our exceptional team creates an unforgettable guest experience

Working at Frind was nothing short of unorganized. The team is great from the restaurant to the tasting room and food is wonderful, but as a staff member you are treated with little respect by the owner and HR manager who calls seems to call all of the shots. With people getting fired left right and centre, a typical day at work was anything but predictable, which affected the service their team members were able to give as everyone is walking on egg shells anxiously 24/7. 
This spot has so much potential but is not being ran properly.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working with a great team and great surroundings!


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I don’t find it a stressful job as long as we all communicate with each other

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is a great work environment and look forward to going to work

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It is great meeting new people from all over the world and interacting with them.

I jumped in at a busy time of year in the cellar, and I was quickly able to make a position for myself.. But only because the leadership was lacking and they just needed people who knew what they were doing. Turns out nobody seemed to know what the plan was in terms of the wine - and they're quick to fire anyone that doesn't "understand the vision". 
Some really great people worked there together, but the best of them have all since moved on.

There seems to be no cohesive plan in place. It severely lacks leadership and direction from the Ownership as well as endorsing a fiefdom like mentality between departments. If they can find excellent general manager that understands the wine industry, that will stay more than 6 months, and change the company culture. It could be a great place to work, however, that is not going to happen anytime soon.  

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