UCLA Health System Employee Reviews for Administrative Specialist

"I do not recommend working at UCLA for B.A. holders."

What do you like about working at UCLA Health System?

"The best aspect of working for UCLA are the benefits."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Don't do it!If you must, find someone you know in the system, this a system based on nepotism. Fight for a high starting salary, because once you are in, you wont see a raise until you are senior management (if you ever get there). Where you start is where you will stay for a very, very long time, be ok with that. Don't stress out about what to wear, due to the low wadges, no one will be able to recognize your expensive suit or Louboutin shoes except for perhaps doctors and the C-Level executives, in which if you arent one, you don't exist. Don't worry if you have no education, this is a great place for you to move up and never let that shed doubt in your mind at UCLA. You will be frustrated if you do have an education, for people without one will be promoted all around you and your boss probably wont have one either."

What don't you like about working at UCLA Health System?

"I've been highly disappointed working at UCLA and would not recommend working here to anyone with a BA degree, if you have higher, and in a specialized field it would be a great place to work. I took my first job here right after graduating from UCLA, I needed the job with my looming student loan debt so I thought I had to start somewhere. UCLA started me at the absolute bottom with no acknowledgement of my UCLA degree. Really After 8 (EIGHT) years working here, I have moved up ONE position and have found it nearly impossible to move up from there. I have been applying for every job, one level up for a year and no opportunity. Thus, I have been pigeon holed in to on lateral moves that only offer a 5% raise. So, UCLA values my degree as much to pay me a pinch over the poverty line, and has only a 5% value for the EIGHT years of knowledge and experience I have. You can *attempt* to negotiate salary but it is extremely difficult and I have been warned that it is highly unlikely to get more than a 5% raise unless you personally know the head of compensation. Not fair at all. The administrative jobs at UCLA are extremely blue color and has a very archaic culture. It is an excellent job for non-degree holders for many people who are managers are non degree holders and got there the same exact way I have to: through years and years of hard work and minimum pay, some tough networking, then maybe you stand a chance to have a successful career. Its a very political system based on nepotism. No one will care if you have a degree, so I would urge you apply elsewhere and give yourself a true chance to have your value actualized. Non degree holders, the pay is average, the benefits - can't be beat and this is a system where you wont be competing with degree holders. There are very few who stick around. The work environment is chaotic, but everyone seems extremely complacent. You are not urged to think outside of the box, or to be a go-getter. Paying staff bottom dollar, refusing overtime and providing zero incentives for hard work leads to a pretty bleak day to day of monotonous work that a monkey could do. Leadership is terrible, my bosses have thrown pens at me, cussed at me, and accused me of having a learning disability for making a minor mistake on something I had to train myself to do. I received zero training for my position now, and was expected to be absolutely flawless at my job and constantly compared to my predecessor. Still, after two years in this position not a week goes by that management doesnt highlight how special she was. All your coworkers will immediately throw you under the buss and no one will take responsibility for their errors, take on a little more work than they have to nor will questioning the way things are fly here. Every peer that I graduated UCLA with has now made over double what I make at UCLA and been promoted various times, and this is no exaggeration. This was a terrible choice for me to make and I view it as one of my biggest mistakes in life. I warn you to not do the same."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Most management has been swallowed by a blanket of negativity that suffocates UCLA Health Care. I feel that because it is so amazingly difficult to advance here- to get to the top you must endure the years of poverty that come with working your way up- when people finely get to the top they are so bruised and beat up they do not have the solid mental capacity to be a good leader. I cant say I have been inspired or lead in any way in my time here. My managers have all had extreme mental issues. They have lied, bullied, gossiped, intentionally made comments to hurt me and have built their opinions on me based on my appearance, race and gender that I have not been able to break, even after working like a horse. I have felt like a prisoner who has never stood a chance to break free, no matter how intelligent, skilled or hard working I am, I am stuck in this false opinion of me based on things that are out of my control. Management here gets yearly raises and bonuses (in which the lower staff has not even seen a cost of living raise in 7 years and is denied overtime) they work to promote their friends and push everyone else down. Communication is impossibly difficult here and managers are extremely ill equipped. I feel that most managers are higher for the paper pushing and finance side of their position but the people of UCLA are not seen nor do they have a voice. Leading and encouraging growth is non existent and when issues arise, whoa watch out, because then you are a trouble maker. As a system that focuses on extreme patient satisfaction it is a true shame that their employee satisfaction and quality of life is the furthest from concern. I do not see how UCLA Enterprise will achieve the greatness they desire while having such a dark and negative underbelly. Given that: Higher pay - so you can please start highering competitive, talented emplyees, it would make a tremendous improvement. More opportunity and cultivation of growthTake some leadership classes (please!) Mental health support for management Communication workshops Respond to emails and calls (you'd be amazed how many times I get ignored)"

What do you like about working at UCLA Health System?

"I like the benefits, consistency, location, workflow, convenience, reliability, and opportunity."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Make sure you are clear that your intentions are to learn and grow. Do not give the impression that you are both hard working and complacent."

What don't you like about working at UCLA Health System?

"I do not feel challenged or appreciated, the work is monotonous and the rules are always changing."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Look for ways to streamline day to day protocol, encourage more of a team effort so more tasks are completed seamlessly. Teach a common form of communication to ensure interoffice communication is clear. Employ leadership development to provide structure for supervisors and managers. Create standard operating procedures that enable all staff to operate on the same level and stay on the same page."