program specialist

support specialist

enrollment specialist

program coordinator

case manager

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Easily one of the worst companies I've worked for. Don't get me wrong, the mission of BBBS of America is a great one, and the purpose is wonderful - BUT management at this particular location makes the job unbearable. Almost half of the employees there are either related or have close relations outside of work and these are the individuals who are occupying management roles. You can bet that if one of them doesn't like you, they all don't like you, and you'll be let go within months. Management is not open or receptive to suggestions. If you go against the grain, you are shunned, made to feel like an outcast, or labeled as "negative." You'll walk on eggshells trying to toe the line between speaking up about issues within the organization or being walked all over and being disrespected by management.

In monthly staff meetings, individuals were consistently put down by the executive director. Whether she dismissed them, interrupted them, or refuted them with "facts," it was clear that it didn't matter what anyone else thought or brought to the table. Meetings often ran over due to countless stories that were told (usually the same stories over and over again). It was a waste of time to bring anything up in these meetings as the matter would be talked about but not resolved, you'd be dismissed entirely, or told that the case would be tabled for another time in which it would never be addressed again.

There's no direction for employees, and onboarding is nonexistent. Expectations, guidelines, policies, and job requirements are unclear or absent. There's no room for growth, and if you express that something isn't working or the way things are being done aren't efficient or realistic, you are quickly quieted or ignored.

If you're a match support specialist, be prepared to be ignored, put down, and not listened to. Your opinions and thoughts don't matter, and this is made clear by how management and the executive director treat you. There's clearly no respect for those working directly with the children and volunteers. There's a reason turnover for this position is so high, and it's not because of those they're hiring – it's due to the toxic work culture. The mission and values of the organization are clearly not supported by the executive director or management, as evidenced by a lack of support of match support specialists who are the individuals working with families, children, and volunteers every day.

Going in, I believed that this position would be rewarding and meaningful, but I soon realized that the organization's main focus was numbers and appearances. While obtaining numbers and hitting goals is essential, this is a people job, and you can't treat people as statistics. Management isn't interested in the kids we're serving – they're interested in boasting about the numbers. It was consistently shown that the number of kids the organization was serving was much more critical than the QUALITY of the services being provided.

Work-life balance
Work-life at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont is good depending on your supervisor. Always be head strong, determined, and self motivated. It can be too much work for the pay but helping and serving the families is worth it if you need experience and an entry level job.

Pay & benefits
My pay at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont are extremely low for them to require a Bachelor’s Degree.

Benefits are amazing simply because they pay for it - it does not come out of your check.

Job security and advancement
In terms of job security at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont, it is a non-profit. If the development team does not do their part to raise money virtually them they will run out of money.

There is no room for advancement and no money in the budget for raises.

Management
In general, managers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont are complacent in their position and has no urgency for change or working ahead. There is no effective communication and when they do communicate 85% of the information is told to you at the last minute if not the day of.

Culture
Collaboration with my colleagues at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont is awesome depending on the colleagues. The Director of Operations is sneaky and has biases towards certain people if they do not obey her every command.

Overall
My experience working at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont was terrible when it came to the Development Team. The agency does not have trust for one another making it hard to have teamwork and effective communication.

I made my experiences with the schools, mentors, and families I worked with an absolutely amazing experience. I had great professional relationships as well as great connection with everyone I served. 

The only issues and negativity I had came from the management of BBBSCP and their lack of concern regarding disciplinary actions with their “upper staff.”

I was a Program Coordinator or "PC" for a little over two years. The environment is fast paced and forever changing

Positives: You get a lot of freedom in this position. You create your own curriculum which you facilitate in all of your programs. It is very rewarding to see "matches" interact positively with each other based on the activities that you plan for each of your sites. The management team is supportive and professional. We do have the options to have flexible schedules and work remotely at times during the busy seasons, which is helpful to keep the work life balance in check. You also get to learn a lot of new skills: program management,  facilitation, clinical support, data entry, and public speaking are all skills I felt I improved upon in this role. The culture is very different than other non profits I worked for. It is very professional and management implemented different "perks" to incentivise staff to make matches and reach their goals, which was a nice extra motivator. Finally, I got to wear jeans to work, as the dresscode was changed to "smart casual." Might not be a big thing for some people, but it goes a long way for me.

Cons: Your programs can be challenging if you have a school partner who is not responsive or disorganized. You also have to stay on top of your families and provide constant reminders to get them to remember to attend program and communication with some is a constant challenge. The system used to keep track of matches, "AIM"  recently underwent some changes and there were a lot of "bugs" which was a source of frustration, but its possible that has changed in the past month. There is a lot of documentation involved, but if your one to listen to music or a podcast when doing your notes, it might not be a big thing, but it does take up a large portion of your job. The pay for new PC's is what you would expect from a non profit, but the benefits package is very good and competitive. 

Overall, I learned a lot from my time as a Site Based Program Coordinator, but after two years, it was time to move on.

If we could remove all the politics from BBBSNEI, this place would be a great place to work. I was a Match Support Specialist and I loved the casework with the families and volunteers. I was able to go into schools in the community and talk with kids in their school environment. Getting in contact with families was sometimes a struggle when they only had 1 working phone or they worked 3rd shift. I didn't love the late nights that were required. In fact, most people that were Match Support Specialists were young, single, and had no children. Anyone with a family didn't stay long in that role. I learned quickly that the main goal for an MSS (Match Support Specialist) was to reach contact goals. This was made nearly impossible by the extremely high caseloads that were subject to increase any time someone quit, or was fired (which happened FREQUENTLY during the time I was there.) I also learned that once you complete your own goal for the month, it suddenly becomes your responsibility to pick up the slack for other members of your team who were struggling to meet their own goal. It seemed that MSS were the lowest on the totem pole, the most overworked, overloaded, and underappreciated. 
 I have to give credit to my immediate manager. They did the best with what they were given and they had to meet the demands of the CEO, who was moody and hard to please. I felt that my immediate manager and team members were the ONLY people who cared about my wellbeing there. I can't say the same for upper management. The CEO it seems had placed her entire family in places of power within the agency. There was no system for reporting issues to HR as there was not a single HR person there during my time working there. 

I truly loved the work I got to do and the mission I was helping to accomplish and I wish that all of the politics could have been removed from it. I would gladly work in a similar position for a different agency, even a different office of BBBS. 
I wouldn't recommend working here as a Match Support Specialist. 

Working as a Match Support Specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana was a deeply disappointing experience. What initially appeared to be a mission-driven organization with meaningful goals quickly revealed itself to be a workplace defined by dysfunction, lack of structure, and an unhealthy culture.
From the outset, there was minimal training and almost no standardized processes in place. Expectations were unclear, priorities shifted without warning, and employees were frequently left to fend for themselves in navigating both their roles and the broader organizational goals. The lack of structure not only created inefficiency but also significantly hindered the quality of service provided to the community.

The work culture was toxic—marked by poor communication, internal cliques, and a general lack of respect for Match Support as a whole. If you were not favored by the CEO then your job was harder. Constructive feedback was not welcomed, and morale was consistently low among staff. Concerns brought to leadership were often ignored or dismissed, contributing to a high turnover rate and a pervasive sense of burnout. 

Unfortunately, the CEO’s leadership style did little to improve this situation. There was a notable absence of accountability and transparency at the top. Decisions often felt disconnected from the actual needs of staff and the youth served by the organization. Rather than fostering collaboration and empowerment, leadership created an atmosphere of control and hostility.

In summary, while the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is admirable, the internal operations at the Northeast Indiana affiliate do not reflect the values the organization claims to uphold. I would not recommend this workplace to professionals seeking a supportive or stable environment.

Pros
Along with its great mission, BBBSA is a small enough national organization where you can learn a lot about non-profits, if you're willing to create learning opportunities for yourself. There are many smart and talented people from whom to learn. The work can be challenging (that's a good thing) and most employees are dedicated to performing well. This is the kind of environment where you leave the job but not the people. They stay with you.

Cons
While the org is good at vision and conceptualizing the impact of its service model and outcomes, it cannot effectively execute its strategy. It lacks innovation. The folks in the trenches have great ideas and are willing to try something new but their voices are unheard. Senior management is overly cautious, glacial in its pace to make decisions, and has lost focus on its core mission and the importance of the people doing the work. A more trusting approach with its directors and business managers would serve the organization well.

Advice to Senior Management
Despite changes in 2010, senior management needs a make-over, starting at the top. At the risk of sounding ageist, BBBSA would greatly benefit by hiring leaders less than 50 years old who are more in touch with business/working models that fit today's marketplace and who can more easily connect with the 20 to 30 somethings that make up the majority of the workforce. Its hiring practices should focus on getting the most qualified, forward-thinking individuals rather than building a "diversity profile" for the sake of how it "looks" in the eyes of potential funders.

-A typical day at work usually began when I would open up our truck and load up the contents of our donation bins before awaiting customers. If there wasn't any rain the night or goods left out the night before this would be a fairly straightforward process. Throughout the day I would greet our customers and help them unload their donations before providing them with a receipt.
-I learned some interpersonal skills, engaging with our customers and acquired some proficiency driving our donation trucks.
-Management was nice, but not very effective. My complaints about my coworker were routinely dismissed, there were several suggestions I made that were never implemented or discussed in any serious fashion, and there were additional problems during training that were never properly addressed.
-The workplace culture was difficult. All of my coworkers were nice people, but they often made tasks more difficult than necessary both for themselves and their coworkers.
-The hardest part of the job was dealing with the garbage. People would leave items overnight that we would have to take to the dump nearly every single day (The rain made this especially trying). I would also have to turn away similar items during the daytime while customers were able to point out that we had similar items at the site.
-The most enjoyable part of the job was the freedom. I didn't often see my coworkers and I had a great deal of control over my work space. I was able to set things up, make myself comfortable and do the work.

Agency had been experiencing long history of staff and management turnover and I entered my position during one of these transitions so everything was chaotic to start. 

The individual who I was replacing and responsible for training me was rarely there so I essentially trained myself-my job duties were not clearly defined until weeks later. 

For months a typical day at work included training myself, cleaning up and recreating a significant number of incomplete files and essentially playing catch up with contacting clients and updating hundreds of case notes in addition to organizing and attending fundraising events. 

I learned how to recognize potential problems and make every effort to resolve them before they became significant. I also learned that my best efforts are not always acknowledged or appreciated but despite that, I must continue to perform my job with integrity. 

Management was making an effort but also struggling; occasionally helpful but usually not. 

My co-workers were mostly distant and indifferent with the exception of two who were pleasant and cooperative. 

The hardest part of my job was doing my job with little support from management and the work environment which did not feel "cohesive". 

The most enjoyable part of my job was conducting interviews and meeting people who were genuinely interested in being a positive role model in a child's life and facilitating that connection.

This position is heavily quota-driven, and failure to meet those numbers results in coaching and increased scrutiny. A significant part of the job involves contacting parents on the caseload, which can be challenging due to unresponsiveness. However, when contact cannot be made, the responsibility is placed entirely on the employee, with little consideration for external factors.

Management tends to micromanage daily tasks while offering limited practical support, even when assistance is requested. Feedback from staff is not well received, and there is a noticeable lack of openness to employee input. Management practices are disorganized and inconsistently applied.

Employee retention is low. It is common for staff to remain in the role for only about a year, which parents frequently notice and express frustration about due to the constant turnover. 

Compensation is low relative to the expectations of the role, and there are few opportunities for professional growth or advancement. Employees who struggle to meet quota expectations are quickly terminated rather than supported.

Be prepared for extended hours in the office, at times working alone into the evening, while management maintains a standard daytime schedule.

Overall, this environment can feel high-pressure, unsupportive, and lacking in long-term development for staff. You are better off looking for a reception job that pays the same with less stress involved. 

This position is heavily quota-driven, and failure to meet those numbers results in coaching and increased scrutiny. A significant part of the job involves contacting parents on the caseload, which can be challenging due to unresponsiveness. However, when contact cannot be made, the responsibility is placed entirely on the employee, with little consideration for external factors.

Management tends to micromanage daily tasks while offering limited practical support, even when assistance is requested. Feedback from staff is not well received, and there is a noticeable lack of openness to employee input. Management practices are disorganized and inconsistently applied.

Employee retention is low. It is common for staff to remain in the role for only about a year, which parents frequently notice and express frustration about due to the constant turnover.

Compensation is low relative to the expectations of the role, and there are few opportunities for professional growth or advancement. Employees who struggle to meet quota expectations are quickly terminated rather than supported.

Be prepared for extended hours in the office, at times working alone into the evening, while management maintains a standard daytime schedule.

Overall, this environment can feel high-pressure, unsupportive, and lacking in long-term development for staff. You are better off looking for a reception job that pays the same with less stress involved.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Program specialist 31 salaries reported	$43,092 per year
Support specialist 18 salaries reported	$19.78 per hour
Enrollment specialist 26 salaries reported	$39,063 per year
Program coordinator 26 salaries reported	$21.34 per hour
Case manager 19 salaries reported	$44,058 per year

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