WESTAT Employer Reviews

Although I loved this job and wish it lasted longer. It was only a 3 month position. The hours were great and coworkers even better. I learned I can handle 60 kids in a group setting testing was fun and i can speak loud when I need too.

Great environment. You learn to get along with your many co-workers and you learn off of one another.

Notice the only good reviews for this company are only done by people working at their Maryland offices. Anyone working for them in other states and towns almost always gives them bad reviews. This is because they treat their field employees and interviewers poorly. I was one of those, and you DO NOT want to work for these people.

I do not know if Westat still does this, but when I was a supervisor of phone interviewers, Westat would offer cash incentives to interviewers but structured conditions to make it impossible for interviewers to get the incentive.

Specifically, as a survey project was approaching the end of its data collection phase, and if the production rate (completed – more... interviews) was not up to snuff, Westat would offer interviewers cash incentives to work a certain minimum number of hours per week until the end of the data collection phase. But as the end date approached, and as interviewers worked more hours and production increased, more and more interviewers would be laid off; they were unable therefore to fulfill the condition of working until the very end. Or, for those interviewers who were still working until the end, their working hours were restricted (since the production crunch no longer applied) to under the minimum required to fulfill the condition for the incentive.

Thus, interviewers were working themselves out of a job as production went up; that practice is probably true in every survey research organization, not just Westat. But what I found objectionable was the offering of incentives that Westat knew they wouldn't have to actually pay out. I subsequently worked at NORC as a field interviewer and felt well treated--no tricks. – less

A typical work day would be meeting up with co-workers in
front of school, signing in the office, getting required
paper work from school coordinator, going to a work area and organize every session box's test and accommodation booklets and making any necessary last minute changes.
Then I prepare my testing location by putting required materials and – more... usher students to their desks' with their corresponding booklets. Proctoring the test takes about 90 minutes.
Afterward, I gathering all test materials and dismiss students. Then meet up with all co-workers at a work area to organize and update required data. We prepare our session boxes with all
required booklets and documents to be shipped out to
Pearson.
What I have learned in this job is to be efficient
quick, detail-oriented, extremely accurate and diligent in
acquiring data info, and have professional communication
skills.
As for management, I was the Assessment
Coordinator's right hand person. She was new and I was actually
offered the position, however had to decline it at the
time. I was able to help and guide her throughout the Pre-
Assessment Visits, Booklet Preparations, and Test
Assessments.
My co-workers and I worked great together. There
has always been a camaraderie between us and towards
completing our work goals.
There was nothing hard in doing this job.
The whole job in general was enjoyable. – less

I am a people person enjoyed working with my co-workers
being a great team player

I am a people person enjoyed working with my co-workers
being a great team player

Excellent company, good values, especially management.Well trained professionals, willing to help you to improve your performance.

Weekly calls with FI's communicating with FM. Reviewing and Supervising FI's Monitored data collection. I liked the management and the organization. My Field Manager was very professional and supportive. The most enjoyable part of the job was knowing you were collecting data that could make a difference with alcohol addiction and dependency in the future.

I love the job! I am able to work with students and I feel like I am contributing to better the education of our country. I have wonderful coworkers and a great team leader. The hardest part of my job is driving to different schools in the Houston area because of the traffic. I enjoy everything about my job

The advancement in this company is almost impossible. For 10 years I was discouraged from getting a higher degree, and when I finally got it, not only I wasn't promoted, I was given position for new hires with Bachelors degree.Teleworking is available, which is very convenient for a work/life balance. They have a gym and a cafe, which are very convenient.

good place to work because of their flexibility, if you have to take a day off at the last minute it is possible as long as you notify them.

Overall stable place to work. low raise increases. good benefits

Don't apply for the Interviewer or Field Jobs. Hateful, difficult people, paying low wages. Then they demand that you walk more than drive to locations, to keep mileage reimbursements down. Ridiculous, petty scrutiny of your work, with even the smallest details being blown up into huge issues. The supervisor I dealt with was a drama-queen kook, and – more... her supervisor, while a decent sort, had very little communication skills either.

Any other work would be better, I assure you. – less

A typical day on the job consisted of reviewing ED/ER charts (100-200 daily) and documenting (data enrty) the reason for the visit, management was great as well as my co-workeers, however the most difficult part of the job was locating missing information that was suppose to be in the Pt's chart, overall I enjoyed learning different medications and – more... what they were used for and the the different medical procedures that are done in the emergancy room. – less

The recruiters are NOT TRANSPARENT with the job description,
They never tell you during the hiring process or during training:

1) No benefits at all: you do not have paid sick time, vacations, etc.
2) No insurance of any kind. If you get sick----sorry no check ;)
3) Everything is paid in an hourly basis, every week.
4) If something happened to your – more... car while you are working for them----sorry! next field interviewer please.

4) They have a quota that you HAVE to FULFILL: a) working part time at least TWO interviews, b) working full time 3 or 4 interviews
If you do not fulfill this they start to threatening you saying "I do not want to let you go". If you make let's say 5 or 6 interviews in a week they will love you, BUT if the next week you only did 1 or zero they hate you (They want production every week, not in average). You expect that people will love to participate for the study or for the $90.00 that the survey offers, some people are feisty, some neighborhoods are not safe, some houses are unclean, people drunk, high or smoking like crazy.

5) You are disposable, their field interviewers turnover is between 3 and 4 months.

7) In my experience, they never told me: we are looking for people who "loved" to work "only on evenings and weekends", during summer time is not so harsh, but during winter they want to be knocking doors after dark in ghettos, risking your life and your vehicle.

8) If you do not know the field interviewer job is: you receive the paper folders (and files) of every case, basically no one is expecting you, you need to go to every address and asking the people 18 year or older if they want to take the survey that offer them $90.00. Some people said, it's too good to be truth. The candidates supposedly received from Westat an invitation letter to participate, around 10% of the people read the letter, most of them don't know what you're talking about.

GOOD LUCK. – less

Depends on unit or group, work load varies by project assignment and who you work with. Some managers are not as organized as others. I have been afforded many learning opportunities more recently (within the past year).

I enjoy working with the people and obtaining their participation in the different studies.

My superviosr is on of the most supportive manager I have had in years.

Hardest part is adjusting to varying moods of individuals you talk to After all you are a stranger asking questions and they don't always appreciate you prying into their personal life especially if it is for the government. You can't say your own view you just have to bear with it and get them to answer the questions showing gratitude for their cooperation – more... always It can be tough but sometimes you talk to the nicest people and that makes the whole day worthwhile. It also is nice to be able to schedule your hours when you want to work – less