career advisor

employment specialist

program coordinator

writer

human resources assistant

Prospect Human Services

A typical day was busy meeting with clients who may or may not have qualified for services, and then supporting them to find employment to meet their needs. 

I learned the CEO at the time was mean and rude and absolutely didn't value the employees. She and her management staff were focused more on numbers and herding people in like cattle, than helping them achieve their goals. It seemed that meeting the monthly quota was more important than actually supporting the clients to be successful in their individual employment pursuits. 

The culture seemed good at first, but after a few years the newer hires didn't have a care in the world about the people they were there to help, they were just there to get a pay cheque. And the supervisors were more interested in pushing quota than being there to support and develop their teams.  

The hardest part of the job was working under a horrible supervisor who operated with bullyish behaviour and tactics because they lacked basic leadership skills and couldn't separate personal bias and feelings from professional working relationships, and then pretending to be happy working there. 

The most enjoyable part of the job was the clients who were engaged and took the program seriously. It was always rewarding to see them thrive and find success. 

Prospect Human Services offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy making a real difference in people’s lives. The work-life balance is excellent. My team dynamic was strong; I made close friends and truly valued the camaraderie and shared mission. The work itself was  fulfilling, as you help clients improve their lives and career prospects.

However, there are areas for improvement, particularly around consistency and transparency at higher management levels. Senior management is not always held to the same in-office requirements, and certain remote work arrangements seem to favour a select few. Some employees are allowed to work fully remotely from out of province and even out of country, while others are required to come in three days per week, creating a sense of inequity. Additionally, there appears to be a lack of accountability in some areas, where ineffective employees or those with performance challenges are allowed to remain, which can impact overall productivity and morale. Job security also feels uneven; recent changes led to the layoffs of numerous teams while program managers and senior roles appeared unaffected.

The work that I did at Prospect was very aligned with my interests and skill-set, and it was rewarding to see the direct impact my role had on the clients I worked with. The compensation and benefits were also adequate for the type of work I was doing.

However, from my experience, upper management at the Edmonton office location preferred that the staff working under them be "Yes Men",  and any disagreement/conflict would not be let go even after supposed "resolution". The organization's actions did not align with their words - as even though they promote themselves as an inclusive and collaborative work environment - this was the furthest thing from the truth. Senior staff often advised me to just "keep my head down", as any constructive feedback or attempts to open a dialogue would be received as an attack by management and be met with consequences. 

Overall, despite the good work being done for clients, Prospect is a psychologically unsafe working environment for anyone not willing to be treated like a doormat. 


through working for prospect i learned a great deal about the resources that were available in the communities, the amount of work that was necessary to make a pilot program succeed above expectations.

The most difficult portion of the job was dealing with the feeling of frustration. The population that my program dealt was geared towards  people who were chronic users of government systems and it was my objective to get them off the system and make them independent, and when this fell short it became frustrating

The most enjoyable portion was idea of succeeding of getting people them finally become independent and realizing themselves.

Through it also felt good going to work with an incredible team  a supportive supervisor and the idea that was going to make  difference.

My direct manager was unsupportive, failed to give people credit for their work, told us to bank hours for time in lieu of which were not paid out.

YACP manager failed to train people adequately. If you have any disagreement with management, minor or otherwise, it will carry on throughout your tenure. Management of the YACP program communicated poorly and behaved in a vindictive and retaliatory manner; all of YACP management's failings are enabled by senior staff. Management actively works to create a derisive environment among staff.

Role changed during the year and an half worked, with additional expectation of working afterhours and weekends.  No respect was accorded for life outside of work.

Although the demographics we work with here can be very challenging, every person here is dedicated to making a difference in some way. It might be a resume, a class, or answering a question every little bit is valuable.  

In my time here Prospect has supported my growth and development, encouraged me, challenged me and inspired me from the front line team into management I couldn't ask for a more inclusive workplace.  

The work is rewarding, most of the clients are pleasant and eager to get to work, management is supportive and staff is inclusive.

Prospect is an amazing organization that helps Albertans overcome barriers and find good jobs. They use innovative, insightful methods to get the best from job seekers and help employers diversify their hiring perspectives. The people at Prospect are dedicated, compassionate, collaborative problem solvers who accomplish great things for Albertans. The management team and board of directors are talented individuals with broad experience and wisdom.

Prospect is an incredibly generous company. They offer you the time to make up your time elsewhere. If you need to take an hour or so for an appointment, they are flexible. As long as you get your work done, your managers are happy. The management team is full of true leaders that care about the well being of their staff. The team is caring and compassionate. Prospect is truly full of workers who care about the client and are client-focused. It makes me proud to work for such a caring company that can offer so many opportunities to the surrounding communities. 

Prospect is a non-profit, so you don't join expecting to make bank. They do what they can to compensate fairly and supplement with more than enough time off to have a strong work/life balance. Management, at least in my position and program, are amazing. My colleagues are the most supportive and wonderful people, and the work I do is incredibly rewarding. It is stressful due to the nature of the work, but it's a good kind of stress most of the time. 

There are critical challenges with ongoing staff turnover.
This non-profit does not have the proper people infrastructure and system infrastructure to manage new innovation emerging from its programs. 

Though it is nice to have multiple employment programs addressing different target groups, overall, there is expectation for a lot to be delivered with very little flexibility to do so, often overloading employees with workloads and responsibilities that end up leading to burnout.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Career advisor 5 salaries reported	$56,400 per year
Employment specialist 3 salaries reported	$50,333 per year
Program coordinator 4 salaries reported	$52,250 per year
Writer 2 salaries reported	$49,000 per year
Human resources assistant 2 salaries reported	$26.66 per hour

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