Pros
Thinkery is passionate about its mission to provide a fun, safe space for Austin children and families to spend their time. During my time at Thinkery, I formed lifelong friendships with an incredible team of passionate, kind, devoted Floor Staff. Thinkery's commitment to diversity in their hiring practices made me proud to be a member of their team.
Cons
Lack of transparency from leadership often makes staff feel disrespected and taken advantage of. Tangible divide between administrative staff and floor staff. During my time at Thinkery, we experienced a drastic transition in their staffing model. As museum visitorship grew, staffing levels were cut, and under-trained floor staff were left to enforce museum policies, clean up, and deal with visitors with minimal support. Misrepresentation during the hiring process of what the job actually entails. If you are passionate about early childhood development, you're likely to be disappointed when you find out that you are essentially a gallery attendant/cleaning crew. Inconsistent enforcement of museum policies led to lack of trust between floor staff and leadership. If you know the museum won't have your back in the face of visitor complaints, you have no incentive to enforce policies on the floor. I know it's a nonprofit, but the compensation in relation to your responsibilities is frankly insulting