Fitch Ratings Reviews in New York, NY

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – This is a great place to work if you like a congenial environment, with lots of young energy, and room to grow.

Cons – Current management has been in place for a very long time; they don't seem very open to change.

Advice to Senior Management – Bring in some new blood, people that have worked on the street in senior management positions to revamp the programs and bring them in line with the current environment.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – Good work-life balance
Valuable early career experience to be gained here

Cons – Potential for higher compensation
Analysts often make poor managers

Advice to Senior Management – Make compensation for mid-level employees more competitive
Communicate to employees about all the negative press about rating agencies more frequently.

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – smart people, with a very good work-life balance. Fitch maintains reasonable hours for its employees and many people who choose to stay, do so for a long period.

Cons – Limited creative thinking, bureaucratic. The pay is also lower than other firms of its kind. But, from what reports show, employees at Fitch are happier than those analysts at their counterparts.

Advice to Senior Management – Continue to rely on the credit side of the business and continue to communicate outward more often, even if it's to share bad news about the company.

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – + Good work & life balance
+ Great learning experience
+ Decent base salary

Cons – - Bonus mediocre
- Poor communication from management
- HR area is weak
- No maternity benefits

Advice to Senior Management – HR needs to be improved; Maternity benefits need major improvement

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Fitch Ratings

Pros – Great camaraderie, people really care about getting it right and the work is generally fulfilling. If you perform well, you have the potential to be promoted quickly and given significant responsibility. The credit committee process is a great way to improve your presentation skills and get exposure to senior management.

Cons – Fitch pays a base that is in line with the market, but bonus's are not what you would see at an i-bank. Also, with the credit crisis, the rating agencies have have taken a hit in the eye of public opinion. Also, with greater regulation of the rating agencies, the job is likely to include more paper work than in the past.

Advice to Senior Management – Be more aggressive at communicating the firms direction

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – A great place to work with high energy. By far, the best ratings agency to work for. Entrepreneurial spirit and encouragement to try new things is a big part of the environment.

Cons – It is getting large and a little elss personal, but still good access to management.

Advice to Senior Management – A litle more downward communication.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – Family oriented, friendly, and pleasant environment. Fitch is a good place to work for. The company offers lots of learning opportunities and supports training.

Cons – There are some downsides just like any other company. Difficult to get promoted from analyst to associate director levels. Salary could be a bit more competitve.

Advice to Senior Management – Salary should be more competitve.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Fitch Ratings

Pros – At lower levels, great opportunity to learn and work with experienced people. Ok benefits and good time off.

Cons – Management style and quality of management differs greatly group to group. Bonus and pay not close to that of a bank.

Advice to Senior Management – None.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Fitch Ratings

Pros – Great place to learn, the company is flexible in moving analysts around and cross-training. Exposed to many facets of investments/finance, junior members are expected/required to contribute meaningfully to the rating process.

Cons – Promotions seem arbitrary and heavily influenced by personality, specifically who you know and/or working well with others (which promotes group think). Smart and diligent analysts typically leave for higher-paying jobs so what you end up with is a barbell workforce with many junior analysts and a few senior managers, who become complacent and lazy...offloading work to junior members.

Advice to Senior Management – Make career advancement less qualitative. There's been a few instances where good analysts were passed over for promotions because they "asked too many questions" or were too stringent in their analysis. Fundamentally, the focus should be less on volume of ratings and more on quality/accuracy of ratings.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend