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• 10+ years Sask operation. I'll keep this short.
  Sounds crazy but all the negative reviews are actually true because I've experienced them and the stupidness. The last reorg was basically done to hire more useless middle management to cover unionized workers if there was a strike (waste of money). This place is so poorly ran that I can only suggest that there is an active effort to seek out certain employees to layoff or make leave(that is a good indicator that this is not the place anyone should want to build a career at).
  
  Terrible facility (no main bathroom fan)
  Terrible management (terror tactics, no direction, poor leadership)
  Inflated middle management structure.
  Very low employee morale.
  
  The end is near as IT is a very small world Mr CEO....get kicked out of any more accounts and you'll be going back to making cabinets.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 27 April 2017 by Rater #56 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• I had the unfortunate experience of working for ISM for many years from the beginning of ISM BC. In the beginning there were a lot of promises made regarding old work and new contracts.
  What they failed to mention was this was essentially signing on to work for the Ferengi Alliance. PROFITS above all else!!!! Employees are just cannon fodder to be used up and discarded as required to keep the investors happy. The management does not value the employees but seem to despise them as the source of their problems. ISM may stil have a recruiting bonus in place for employees if they can get someone skilled to join ISM but I would not in good conscience recommend anyone join this outfit.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 24 December 2016 by Rater #55 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Working at ISM used to be something you were proud of and then the new C-level management arrived 4 years ago. They are stuck in the 80s. They are secretive, make fun of others, are super cliquey, and lie to your face before they stab you in the back. If you are contracted off site then you are one of the lucky because working on-site is depressing and demoralizing. It's not a happy place to be as you wait to see if you're next to get axed. In the last year and a half over 100 people have been let go to pay for the mistakes that management, throwing hundreds of thousands into a black hole of debt.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 20 September 2016 by Rater #54 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• I have been working for ISM in BC for about 7 years. A while ago we got a new leader for the BC operation who promised to make things better than it was. Are things better? No, but what do you expect when you have someone in charge whose career has been to sit on boards and never do any actual work? The guy wouldn’t know the difference between a microchip and a potato chip. BC’s leadership has been a revolving door of hired guns that come in with their own half baked ideas steeped with platitudes like ‘delight the client’. Delight the client sounds good doesn’t it? Making your customers happy is good business. Introducing it as a mantra to front line workers who were already giving it there all is an incredible insult to everyone who does the real work. It means our leaders didn’t realize how much undeserved effort they were already getting! Many people were staying late, coming in early, or exceeding what was expected in spite of management standing on their backs telling them to hurry up and move on to the next thing. Everyone is juggling increasing workloads that should be spread out over two, or maybe three people instead of just one and it frames the conversation into an insinuation that we’re holding back, and therefore if the contract does not get renewed it must be our fault. It feels awful hearing this from the top of the organization who take extravagant trips overseas paid for by the company while the ones who actually earn the money experience layoffs year after year, work with broken furniture and are regularly reminded how much it costs to employ us. The outlook is incredibly poor in every department. Our management do not lead! They dictate, are argumentative and look for fights with the workers who report to them. It is really obvious that the people in charge don’t like or trust the people doing the work. ISM (BC) is trying to get the only contract they have with the government renewed so that we can continue providing services and keep our jobs. The only thing ISM has going for it right now is we have a right wing government prone to making bad business decisions based on patronage, so we will see. This is not a good place to work, unless you want to be part of a Dilbert comic.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 21 June 2016 by Rater #53 | Comments (2) | Flag as inappropriate

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• If you are losing a war, you don't punish the soldiers and fire the lieutenants. Yet that is what ISM does on a regular basis.
  If you have a tree with rot, you don't cut off the branches hoping to solve the problems. You need to cut it off at the trunk. Yet that is what ISM does on a regular basis.
  Another lieutenant (regional manager) has been let go, but ISM is still holding on the little general at the top who is causing all of the issues. Cut the tree off at the trunk! Get rid of the little Napoleon (and his little group of yes-men) and get some people in place who understand customer service. Then maybe something positive will come out of this unholy mess.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 8 June 2016 by Rater #52 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• This is not a good place to work.
  
  Staff are not treated well. There are way too many 'Directors' and management in general.
  
  Too many of the new CEO's buddy's are in high paying jobs and not doing anything helpful.
  
  Too many good staff are leaving or have been let go.
  
  There is no pride in working at ISM any more. Even the staff that are new (came in after the new management) don't like it (unless you are one of the 15 or 20 new directors - they like it)
    read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 12 May 2016 by Rater #49 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• What's it like working in ISM (an IBM subsidiary)? For long term workers it's a three part recipe. One part survivor syndrome, one part hating your job, and the final part is looking for a better job. ISM management are always after new ways to get rid of workers, they don't even try to hide it anymore. ISM management absolutely hate the union and blame it for all their problems, even though the union wages and benefits are the only thing that keeps workers staying there. ISM pay about 10-15% more than what their clients pay their equivalent workers. Even with the pay premium there are a lot of ISMers jumping ship to work for their clients giving up their seniority and vacation benefits because the working conditions are so much worse in ISM.
  
  
  The slightly higher pay also drives up the wages for management indirectly, without the union the average manager in ISM would earn less than $70,000 a year. Any ISM manager should compare their pay checks with what an IBM manager earns. They should also compare the average age of an IBM manager against the average age of an ISM manager for some real insight on how the parent company they worship at the feet of would really treat them.
  
  
  ISM isn't an easy company to get accepted for a job. You need to have to have the strongest skills highest qualifications and the interview process can be very difficult depending on what you apply for. ISM want the best people to work for them and make it tough for non professionals to join, yet complain at how much professionals cost. Once you’re hired they destroy your productivity with terrible tools and scapegoating. There is absolutely no support from management when there are problems. Management’s first job when an issue arises is to discipline the worker. The organization structure is a silo mentality. Workers do talk among themselves but quietly and away from the watchful eye of management who believe that all information should be vetted and controlled by them, everything is “need to know”. Recently ISM management have eliminated all career paths for workers by removing the Supervisor and Team Lead positions. I fully support this move because it will make leaving ISM for equivalent leadership positions with their own clients that much easier. Unfortunately for ISM, there are no former ISMers who have anything good to say about the company after they leave. I wonder if they even know how much their poor treatment of staff has negatively affected their chances at contract renewal.
  
  
  I hate this place.
  
    read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 16 April 2016 by Rater #48 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Is ISM a toxic workplace? That is a very interesting question to explore. Let me provide you with a few key terms that define a toxic workplace. Decide for yourself, which ISM does not fit, fits and maybe even has mastered.
  1.A toxic workplace has a very high level of stress.
  2.A toxic workplace has low moral
  3.A toxic workplace is characterized by high mental and physical illness
  4.A toxic workplace has immature leadership
  5.A toxic workplace has poor communication
  6.A toxic workplace has favoritism
  7.A toxic workplace has leadership by threat rather than example
  8.A toxic workplace has lack of morality
  9.A toxic workplace has lack of empathy
  10.A toxic workplace has scapegoating.
  
  From the list, do any, none or all apply to ISM?
    read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 12 March 2016 by Rater #47 | Comments (3) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Hmm, first rating of 2016. Updates have been made to FAST but issues still happening with the Tool to the same point of slowness as if FAST wasn't incorporated. Management changes, which is a bit confusing as to why, they are adding managers when they are top management heavy. My suggestion is to hire more bottom level staff to assist, and not a manager to micromanage everything. The ratings and comments are mainly true, it is a hard company to work for and you may not be recognized for stepping up unless someone above you recommends it. It is difficult for advancement due to the same reasons. I would however recommend this company as a starting point or springboard to better companies in the future. I wonder what the investigation is all about, oh forgot, hush hush.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 15 January 2016 by Rater #46 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• After more than a year,nothing has changed. Looks like the problems weren't rooted in the managers they let go, but much deeper than that. The toxicity goes right to the top.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 17 November 2015 by Rater #44 | Comments (2) | Flag as inappropriate

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• WARNING! Do not work here! The compensation is great but it's NOT WORTH IT. On almost every criteria, this company is toxic for employees. Despite being unionized, there is very little support for employees. ISM is good at evading union structures and imposing changes the union cannot mitigate. The union itself is slow to respond to crisis. Internal employee information and communication is inconsistent, out of date and incomplete. Managers lie and employees have to dig to find out what company policies actually are. Many managers have been promoted at least one level above their area of expertise and have no people skills. Do not expect normal relationships with some managers because they are insecure, less educated than many of the employees and known for bullying. Cronyism is rampant so you won't find professional success unless you make the right connections and fit in with the right people. Many employees work from home but if you work onsite and especially if you work for one of the call centres, you can expect sexism, racism and homophobia. That all said, there ARE good people here and if you network you can find them but if I knew a few years ago what I know now I would NOT have stayed this long. Consider yourself warned!   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 6 November 2015 by Rater #42 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• No updates in a year? This place has gone to Sh!t now with the new CEO and ISM 2.0. More like ISM Fail now.... Management heavy, now lack of staff in teams due to layoffs and constant threats from management about how we are all so horrible and will fold the company. Morale I feel is at an all time low and isn't getting better. This company really knows how to treat their employees badly and give 0 appreciation for our constant work and after hours support.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 5 November 2015 by Rater #41 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• Has ISM improved since the recent changes in leadership? To the outside person or to someone new to ISM the answer might be yes. To those who have been with ISM a while the answer would be no. Getting rid of one person does not solve the problems with the company. You still have staff that are being targeted all be it in a less obvious way. You still have team leads on up that seem to have chips on their shoulders when it comes to getting into the trenches to actually work and support the client be it answering phones at the service desk to helping clients desk side. How would you feel if you saw the call queues going red and rather than answer calls you see your team leads on up go for coffee, chat at a desk with each other or simply do nothing. The excuse that the team lead or supervisor are doing reports or something else does not hold much water when it happens so often that when they do answer a call staff are genuinely shocked or assume someone higher then them forced them to answer a calls. Staff are told calls come first but I guess that does not apply to teams leads on up. Management at ISM is a joke to be blunt. No one wants to do what it takes to meet the needs of the clients. You have managers yelling at staff. You have so called leaders that love to give orders but refuse to lead by example. I am not saying staff are perfect; on the contrary, some seem to get away with whatever they want. ISM seems to be a sinking ship were everyone seems to care less and less. When you see staff appointed to positions without a completion that anyone remembers you begin to lose faith. Just the hint of nepotism true or not can really hurt a company. Management has repeatedly over the years been made aware of issues at ISM and have ignored it each time. The company may make token gestures now and then such as getting rid of the previous senior manager but they are meaningless when they refuse to fix all the issues. Most of the leadership that manages the service desk for example is questionably qualified. You really have to wonder how most got into a job leading people over more qualified applicants that in some cases literally did the exact job before ISM took over. ISM is a sinking ship were funny enough most staff are hoping it sinks faster so the Health Authorities can correct their mistake and take back all they contracted out. Just read all the comments on this site people have made about the company over the years and you will get a clear picture of what is going on. Not much has really changed at ISM since the senior manager left and the outright dislike at the drop in service since ISM took over by clients is getting to a boiling point. If you want to fix the issues with ISM, there are solutions. The company needs to prove clearly that there is no cronyism at ISM and any found will be correct. Secondly the company needs to put every position team lead on up under a microscope and really decide if the person in it is qualified to lead. Just because you have technical skills does not mean you can lead others even with training. Some people just do not have the personality to lead others. Thirdly, the company needs to hire an independent third party to investigate all the issues at ISM. Yes, the union brought in someone but that was because the union had to deal with a flood of complaints that were not being addressed by ISM. ISM needs to hire its own investigator with the power to make changes not just recommendations that will be ignored. Finally, ISM needs to respect its employees. We are not stupid in the slightest. We can see everything that is going on. If someone is treated badly we all find out quick. If someone of lesser qualifications is hired for a position over someone who has done it, we all find out and make some obvious conclusions. No ISM your staff are not stupid they simply lack trusted leadership and have no faith in anything you tell them. Think on that a moment. ISM as a whole not just the BC operation should be ashamed how they treat their staff and their clients. Read others reviews for more detail and remember little has changed and much has got worse.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 22 November 2014 by Rater #40 | Comments (4) | Flag as inappropriate

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• Just heard the root of ISM (BC)'s problems just got let go yesterday. Wonder why it took so long for them to let this guy go.  

  Posted on 23 September 2014 by Rater #39 | Comments (5) | Flag as inappropriate

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• I have no comments, it's all in the head. I think ISM is going downhill, and this is them going from black to red.  

  Posted on 19 May 2014 by Rater #38 | Comments (2) | Flag as inappropriate

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• ISM Workforce Adjustment Phase II - BCGEU raises concerns about contracting out and some layoffs are rescinded
  All BCGEU members working for ISM Canada
  Re: ISM Workforce Adjustment Phase II Update: The union raises concerns about positions deemed redundant, being sub-contracted out
  Following the April 7, 2014 Joint Union Management (JUM) meeting where the employer announced phase II of their workforce adjustment plan, there was a Joint Placement Steering Committee (JPSC) meeting pursuant to Article 13 on April 8, 2014. At this meeting, the union advised the employer that we had evidence of positions the employer identified as redundant (surplus) in both phases I and II of workforce adjustment being sub-contracted out in remote areas.
  The union advised the employer that the union takes this kind of attack on our members' job security very seriously and we put the employer on notice that we will take formal action regarding any violation of the collective agreement regarding contracting out if the matter is not quickly resolved. The employer requested a meeting to discuss this issue and work toward a resolution. This meeting occurred on April 11, 2014.
  As a result of the union confronting the employer on the sub-contracting out issue, the employer agreed to rescind all redundancy and layoff letters to those Deskside Technicians impacted in workforce adjustment actions in March (phase I) and last week (phase II) who work in remote locations.
  A total of 11 BCGEU members will get their positions back as a result of the union's actions. The employer did advise that they plan to transition these employees from the Deskside Technician position to the Client Support Technician position in the near future to expand their role and increase flexibility to assign them to other work if their Deskside Technician workload is low. This would allow them to continue to do Deskside Technician work and receive the same pay rate.
  
  The union is continuing to investigate this matter to ensure that there are no further examples of sub-contracting out where our members are advised their positions are redundant. If you have any information on this, please contact your BCGEU steward.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 16 April 2014 by Rater #36 | Comments (3) | Flag as inappropriate

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• ISM Workforce Adjustment Phase II
  The employer called an emergency Joint Union-Management meeting for 9:00 am on Monday, April 7, 2012. Union representatives were not advised of the meeting until the morning of the meeting and consequently only two of the four union representatives were notified in time to attend. The union raised concerns about the lack of notice.
  The employer announced that they are in Phase II of their Workforce Adjustment and they have found 22 redundant positions currently filled by regular employees - all BCGEU members. This is one month after Phase I where they found 14 regular desk side technician positions redundant which resulted in those 14 employees moving to service desk positions and the layoff of 12 service desk auxiliary employees – also all BCGEU members.
  The union raised concerns about the employer's lack of communication to our members about their plans to implement workforce adjustment last month, when they first initiated it, and again at the March 26, 2014 Joint Union-Management meeting. The employer committed to send out additional communication with more detailed information regarding how workforce adjustment will impact our members as per the union's request. The communication sent out by the employer April 8, 2014 does not provide detailed information and its timing (it should have come out earlier) does not meet with the spirit of the commitment the employer made to the union at the Joint Union-Management meeting.
  The employer advised that as there are only a few vacancies, and they are in the PR 21 classification and that all redundant positions in Phase II of Workforce Adjustment are in PR 7, PR 9 and PR 18 classifications, these vacancies will not be relevant to the Article 13 process. The union requested a formal list of all vacancies.
  The union also raised the issue of conversions at the March 26, 2014 Joint Union-Management meeting. There are a large number of auxiliary employees who met the criteria for conversion some time ago and the employer was not converting them in violation of the collective agreement. The employer agreed to review this issue and get back to the union. In the April 7, 2014 Joint Union-Management meeting the employer reported that as a result of the union's request, they are converting 17 auxiliaries to regular status retroactive to the first of the month after they achieved 1957.5 hours in 33 pay periods. The employer further informed us that 15 of these 17 auxiliaries will be notified of their conversion and then be notified that they will be impacted by the workforce adjustment.
  The union has been advocating for our members through the joint placement steering committee and continues to ensure that our members’ rights are protected and maintained through this process. We will continue to report out on developments.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 13 April 2014 by Rater #35 | Comments (4) | Flag as inappropriate

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• I have worked for this company since they got the health contract in BC. First 2 years they were able to use transition as an excuse for mistakes and over billing. Too much micro-management and enshrined IBM doctrine is the reason for lower profits. I can see IBM cutting their losses and finding a way to get out of the health contract. No experience in providing this kind of service to a sector that relies heavly on the human factor. I am so happy to have jumped a sinking ship. How much did ISM pay to get on the 100 top employer list? More time is spent on billing the client than provinding service.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 19 March 2014 by Rater #33 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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• ISM Workforce Adjustment - Joint Placement Steering Committee Update
  At the March 4 joint union-management meeting with ISM Canada, the employer announced the displacement of 14 regular deskside technician employees and the layoff of 12 service desk auxiliary employees – all BCGEU members.
  All impacted regular employees are being offered service desk agent positions in their geographic location with the same rate of pay, but the union acknowledges this is a very different position and that the deskside technicians will consequently lose their career path.
  The union requested a voluntary departure plan but the employer said because they have lateral transfer options for every impacted regular employee that they would not be offering a voluntary departure plan.
  BCGEU also raised concerns about the lack of time for members to act on this news, indicating that the timing issue was inconsiderate to both employees and their families. With only one day between the announcement and suitability interviews (to determine if each displaced employee is suitable for the service desk position), members did not have an adequate amount of time to deal with the news.
  Despite the union calling on the employer to extend the timeframe, the employer would not grant more time. As a result, members are faced with managing last minute changes that will significantly impact their lives; in addition to not having an acceptable amount of time to thoroughly examine their rights under the collective agreement.
  The union has been advocating for our members through the joint placement steering committee and continues to ensure that our members’ rights are protected and maintained through this process. We will continue to report out on developments.
  In solidarity
  Walter Keriluk (Local 601) and Lori Strom (Staff Representative) BCGEU members of Joint Placement Steering Committee   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 17 March 2014 by Rater #32 | Comments (1) | Flag as inappropriate

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• I took the time to write this lengthy review of ISM Canada (Regina, SK) for one reason... to warn
  people about seeking employment at this company. I have been employed here for many years and
  while it had it's good times, the future is looking bleak.
  
  The number one reason to avoid ISM Canada is it's parent company, IBM. If you've watched the news
  lately or done a quick google search for “IBM layoffs”, you will know they are completely destroying
  themselves trying to reach their “Roadmap 2015” EPS target of $20. With falling revenues, they need
  to appease their shareholders. With less revenue how do you achieve a 2015 EPS goal of $20? You cut
  costs. In the last 2 years I believe the number is around 30,000 jobs (LIVES) destroyed by IBM. There
  is no rhyme or reason as to the cuts. They pick anyone, even extremely important resources that are
  critical to the company. If you have 5 years in at IBM or 35 years, it doesn't matter.
  
  Now you may ask, why am I talking about IBM in an ISM Canada review? Well, ISM seems to follow
  IBM's lead wherever they go even if that direction is straight into the garbage can. If IBM is cutting
  costs to keep their profit margins high, so does ISM Canada. Unfortunately ISM isn't really in the need
  to do the amount of cutting and penny pinching they do. ISM refuses to spend money on anything noncritical including replacing broken office furniture, to not buying day planners for their employees, to
  not life cycling laptops anymore. They don't even pay for a Christmas lunch for their workers anymore.
  This type of action demoralizes the employees. The morale at ISM Canada is in the toilet. If you have
  to go buy your own office furniture to avoid having a debilitating medical condition due to improper
  workstation setup then you should continue job seeking elsewhere.
  
  Another way ISM is following IBM to their grave is the extremely top heavy management system.
  IBM has been savagely management top heavy for years. ISM seems to adopt this same type of trend,
  hiring managers and directors like crazy. Most of the managers they hire are former in-scope
  employees and sadly to say, most of them are completely incompetent. We hire more managers and
  then fail to hire staff that actually provide delivery services to the customer. MORE management,
  LESS service delivery. Makes sense for a company trying to make money. Hire extremely high paid
  incompetent employees to do what exactly? Manage nobody and nothing. Couple this situation with
  staff layoffs while increasing the workload on the remaining staff and your just asking for an increased
  turnover rate / morale problem.
  
  Training. There is none. If you work here, it's trial by fire. You train yourself. Make a mistake? It's your
  fault. Why is there no training? Because quality training costs money. If you don't learn fast or grasp
  foreign concepts quickly, be prepared to be used as a scapegoat when something (eventually) goes
  wrong. It was no fault of your own. The business just doesn't have the support services available to the
  employee for them to succeed.
  
  Compensation and benefits are great. That is the end of the line at ISM Canada. The building is falling
  apart and ISM refuses to invest the money to fix it. If it doesn't have to do with delivery then you can
  bet your pension that they sure aren't going to invest in it. If your chair breaks you might as well go and
  buy a wooden one from a high school shop class to replace it. They absolutely will not buy a new one
  for you. Last but certainly not least, ISM refuses to give references to potential employers that call. It's
  company policy. So work at ISM for 20 years and you have no work based references. Thanks ISM. I
  guess my grandma will be my only “personal reference” and hopefully she picked up some knowledge
  about information systems management to talk to a potential employer when she was waiting for her
  husband to come back from World War II.   read complete rating Hide complete rating

  Posted on 11 March 2014 by Rater #31 | Add Comment | Flag as inappropriate

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