assembler

assembly technician

quality assurance technician

production lead

warehouse associate

Tovala

Is a high paced work day, yet after two years of working there they still haven’t found a way to train people. There’s a lot of turnover and great people with amazing skills have been released or have  left because they wanted to bring changes to better the culture and procedures to the company. Sadly there’s not a human resource department. They are usually busy or in meetings and they seemed not very people oriented. Theirs a lot of favoritism and there’s not a well balanced in hours, great employees get punished while problematic employees get rewarded. There’s not a balance between work and personal life sadly.  If you keep your head down and don’t complain and just do as you’re told you will succeed in possibly getting your 40 hours. No sense of belonging or connection. People from Chicago come and try to dictate who stays and goes when they’re not even there to actually understand the culture and drama that goes on there. The company use to be people oriented but now they are more about being profitable than caring about people needs and their wants.  They had different values that expresses that now. The have a people team but in reality those that are supposed to be in HR aren’t well trained and aren’t  neutral when it comes to employees they do what management wants. Sadly is a toxic place to work at. They also constantly mess with people’s checks and blame the payroll program. They don’t have good trainings or a good orientation. They pretty much throw people in whatever projects they need. If you’re elderly they sent you home early if they feel you’re slow and can’t do the work. 

As a person who moved up and down in the company, I would say my time here was probably the most fun I've had but it also came with employees who were unable to work with each other which caused chaotic moments in which QA and Leads would yell at each other in front of all the employees or even leads yelling at each other. The reason why is because some leads wouldn't be able to take constructive criticism on how they could run line or a project more efficiently,  which would cause disagreements, silent treatment and also supervisors and leads being unable to work with each other and take accountability for the inconsistencies they have. And I'm pretty sure things have changed now but that's just the negative for being a lead, and sometimes things are just out of your control but you just got to do your best to make the most of your time. Super fast paced environment of course.
As for being a regular "assembler", you will be getting moved around a lot if you are not fast and if you're doing everything with no intention of learning new ways to do things faster, no one will want to work with you. As for hours, they will be cut during a time like summer and spring but they will shoot up in the winter and autumn due to people not going out in the cold. So don't expect to get your full hours if you're on a 4/10s schedule.
Would I comeback? of course. But also it's a great place to figure out how well you can deal under stress and working with people who don't care about the way they do their job.

Tovala has been an awesome place to work. I love the transparency of leadership as well as how respectful, smart and driven my co-workers are. It's a company with a future where I feel like I'm able to make a difference.

- Co-workers are incredibly talented and friendly - I've met some of the smartest people I've ever worked with and everyone has a growth and learning mindset so I never feel out of place for asking questions or not knowing something

- Work-life balance is great - even though we're a startup, the company takes work/life balance seriously. I'm working normal weeks and feel trusted to get my work done on my own time

- Leadership is extremely transparent - I've learned things about running a business that I never knew before and I never am guessing where we're at as a company

- Culture is fun - there have been great company events, fun Slack channels for getting to know your co-workers and sharing your personality and things like book clubs

- Great leadership team that lives and breathes the company's core values and also takes a long-term approach to growth.
- Hard-working and intelligent teammates that are always willing to help.
- Responsibilities can grow as the company grows. Since there are so many areas where the business can improve, one can also shape the direction of their career.
- "Fail fast" mindset where you get to work on a lot of interesting projects and see their impact almost immediately.
- Great culture - transparent, open, friendly, and AMAZING work/life balance (unlimited PTO where you have to take a minimum of 15 days, you get your birthday off, and long hours are not the norm).
- Interesting and unique product offering.

Management very incompetent, they have very poor staff management, never make assertive decision, poor team work, they’ll give you points for everything even if you get sick or a family
Member passes away, they expect you to
Go to work even if you’re sick, they’ll
Give you points if you get COVID , even with a doctors letter. Managers are friends out of work so never expect to be listened and understood when you have a complaint they have each others back making it impossible for them to keep a professional work environment. They never value good workers, just one break 10 mins for a ten hour shift, they expect you to be in your feet for such a long time and in the freezer, some workers got frostbite due to the lack of breaks, whenever they wanna send you home early they’ll just do it which happens very often …. You’ll get Poor checks never expect 40 hours. Many accidents, people keep falling, several calls to 911 …… poor food management, protocols are poorly followed! I would never buy their food 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The team members were, the only positive thing about that company.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The poor leadership, it was a toxic environment.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It’s motivation by intimidation, and micromanagement. Very hostile, team members crying regularly from the abuse and poor work conditions resulting in paramedics being called on at least 3 different occasions, due to, heat exhaustion, slips, and over exertion.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Start work using incorrect system generated metrics resulting in unattainable project completion followed up by 1-2 hours of yelling and being berated by the GM

Tovala is a fast growing company, you'll have a lot of opportunities for your career growth. 
The management team is awesome, they are very transparent and really care about people. 
The culture here is unique, it's more like the (good) combination of food manufacturer and tech company, open, kind, and professional. We have fun events, and you will meet a lot of smart people and learn from them.
It can be stressful just like working in other startups. You don't want to be left behind because everyone else is very passionate and deliverable. BUT this stress helps you be a better person and grow fast for your future career.

Favoritism, won't move up if your not liked. Management has each other's back so can't go to  HR for management issues, they'll send you home instead. Work you like robots. Leads aren't allowed to accommodate employees per management. Management can tell boss what they want and their word is more important than yours. Management won't greet you with a hello if they don't like you they only treat you like trash and treats the others they do like with respect. Absolutely no training if you move up in the company, just have to figure it out. Remember, don't complain to your boss's boss about another manager because he will find reasons to send you home.

It was very hard to stay at this job with the leads always hovering over me; demanding impossible tasks. For exapmle:
On the assembly line you must complete a total of 160 meals in 10 minutes, that consists of adding 2 to 3 dshes in box, then 6 to 7 garnishes, then the menu, then close the box. 

My team of what's suppose to be 16 ppl, but only  11 ppl, thru hardwork and speed we were able to complete work for the day. Next day the demanded us to do 160 meals but in 5 minutes. 

The team tried to reason and say that's too fast, but Salma ignored us and told us "it's duable...." you guys gotta stop talking, or standing around, or come back from breaks faster, or switch positions because u aren't fast enough. 

This job was crazy.

My experience at this company was extremely disappointing. I felt that favoritism played a major role in how employees were treated, and workplace expectations were not applied equally to everyone. Communication from management was often lacking, and concerns raised by employees did not always seem to be taken seriously.

The work environment felt stressful and at times unprofessional, which made it difficult to feel valued or motivated. Fairness, consistency, and employee support are areas that I believe need significant improvement. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this workplace to others seeking a positive and supportive environment.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Assembler 6 salaries reported	$18.33 per hour
Assembly technician 6 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Quality assurance technician 2 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Production lead 2 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour
Warehouse associate 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour

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