Aviva (United Kingdom) Reviews

Pros

Great team environment - a real sense of camaraderie and healthy competition
high level of expertise - you really will be working with industry experts and leaders at the top of their game
See the difference you make to people's lives - even if you do not have contact with customers directly there is a constant stream of updates around how we affect our customers, we don't always get it right and where we haven't we make sure we are constantly improving
Regular recognition and reward - this can be done colleague to colleague and not just by managers, rewards are from simple thank you ecards to monetary vouchers and invites to swishy events

Cons

You are not always provided with all the tools to do your job effectively, this is mainly around equipment. Laptops are antiquated and network speed is a nightmare.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication channels have been greatly improved particularly through the intranet/forums and a lot has been done recently in order to explain the thinking behind some of the changes happening across the business.

Pros

Holiday package and flexible working options - good.
Development opportunities numerous in volume (but see Cons)
(Leased) office building was pleasant enough

Cons

Management are uninspiring (or downright incompetent)
Salary and bonus are atrocious - well under market rate and have no bearing on performance of the unit, or indeed the company (hence the pay-rise "pot" remaining at 2% for the last three years, despite company profit increasing YOY)
Aviva is defined by knee-jerk reactions. Nothing is thought through, so staff are forced to change focus from one minute to the next, be it on administrating X, or preventing Y. Nothing is ever maintained or followed-through to completion.

Advice to Senior Management

Just for one year, try focusing on what would make things better for the employees. Aviva would still function without the Hofs, Dofs, MDs et al, but without underwriters, servicers, risk advisors, customer service reps, there would be nothing. Try giving out salary awards and bonuses that reflect just how much the staff have lined your pockets.

Pros

There are some smart people and you can get good experience

Cons

One of the most political organisations I know. Good performance is not recognised and you will only succeed if you don't challenge the status-quo or senior management. Alot of dead-wood in some very senior positions. Definitely a case of jobs-for-mates in this organisation.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop focusing on your own bonuses and start taking your custodianship of the organisation seriously. You are losing good people because of the culture of the organisation that tolerates poor performance, lack of honesty and personal patronage.

Pros

Local office and good colleagues to work with.

Cons

Management prefer to take advice of external consultants rather than their own staff.
Limited promotion opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management

Think of your staff not just your shareholders

Pros

Great work life balance.
Treats staff with respect.
High team spirit.
Feels like one big, mostly happy, family.
The senior leaders know what they are doing. They have been leading a huge financial services company in very difficult times. Speaks volume.
Some superb technical people. Great SOA initiative in UK Life, though far too influenced by IBM.

Cons

Many people too rigid in their own little views, understandable when they have been doing the exact same job at the same desk for the last 110 years!
The less said about the middle managers the better. Completely clueless.
IT in GI is still in chaos, probably always will be.

Advice to Senior Management

There are now more middle managers in Aviva than all desks, chairs, PCs and printers taken together. 'nuff said.

Pros

Good environments
Positive staff relationships
Balanced work/life
Good benefits

Cons

High pressure environment
Very ciompetive environment
IT systems lag new arrivals

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in new technology now

Pros

Working for a secure market leading company
Developement of staff used to be industry leading
Can progress to senior roles relatively easily.

Cons

Too much outsourcing and senior management constantly making job cuts as a way of keeping on or cutting budgets

If they get their head counts right, stick to it, dont decide to cut more staff as a result of needing to keep to budgets.

Advice to Senior Management

Please stop reducing the numbers in IT. The skills of some people that have left the company in the last few years have not been replaced and outsourcing to other companies is not the answer,