Abbey National Reviews

Pros

One of the few banks in the UK that haven't been significantly affected by the sub prime crises and also the credit crunch. Overall, pay package is fair and work / life balance is respected by management.

Cons

Uncertainty within the work environment as communication is withheld sometimes deliberately by line management. This causes unnecessary rumours and gossip. In addition, recognition is sometimes ignored regardless of the effort put in and also the fact you are working with higher responsibility without the appropriate increase in reward.

Advice to Senior Management

Share information and news as soon as you know it to direct reports. This then negates the rumour and gossip issues that are inherent in the organisation currently. Also improve the quality of the service provided to the end customer as well 'internal' customers too (i.e. colleagues within head office functions).

Pros

The other people that you work with are decent and kind people

Cons

you dont get paid for working hours that the branch is not open (even if you are there working hours before or after the doors have closed) You get made to do jobs that you are not supposed to be doing (ie you are not qualified/ paid to do) You are not properly appreciated from anyone above the branch manager.

Advice to Senior Management

They need to create a better career path system, they need to recruit from within and allow people who fully understand the systems to work their way through the ranks rather than recruiting managers and higher from outside who do not even know banking. Also they need to ensure people are getting paid to do the job that they are carrying out (ie a cashier should not be doing the job of the manager)

Pros

1) At band C or above, you get 30 days holiday with the option to buy another 5
2) You don't have to work very hard, the standard/expectations aren't high and it's only a 35 hour week
3) It might look good on your CV, depending what else is on there

Cons

There are lots of dinosaurs who are change averse and have been around for ever. There's a distinct lack of meritocracy (despite what their website says) and the business is slow to adapt to change. It's also conservative - banks are, but Abbey more so than most - and there's a lot of bureaucracy with no basis in common sense.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to the ideas you get from your employees. My group had an idea which would have contributed a minimum of £30m per year but there was no interest and not even any feedback on why there was no interest. I had figures showing the ROI too - this wasn't a back of a fag packet idea, it was a well thought out and researched proposal with input from senior people. No interest, nada, as they might say in Santander City.

If I was a shareholder this would infuriate me. Thankfully I left before they could foist 150 Santander shares on me.

Pros

i basically needa job and cannot leave until i get another job as i need money to keep me going

Cons

managers colleagues do not understand the personal life/ sickness health issues.
managers always giving no recognition and treat everyone the same, treat people different depending on age and colour.
overall the managers have no experience in communications and how to talk to people and treat the human being this includes customers face to face and on the phone.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to get anger management skills and communication skills need a huge improvement and need experience in managerial skills.
When the promise promotion it never really happens you have to move to different area so that your promotion skills are recognised.
Please talk to us whether we are young or old with respect especially the young ones - we are not attending school to be spoken to like a child. we are adults.