Barclays Capital Reviews in United Kingdom

Pros

Good place to hide if you are not a performer, no one gets fired.
If you are being poached they pay large guaranteed packaged.

Cons

-- downside is that the generators end up paying for everybody else, as in a socialist society.
-- legacy people have ended up paying for the new people i.e. legacy got underpaid in order to pay for bringing in new people that were overpaid.
-- too many french in senior management, they are invisible and add no value.

Advice to Senior Management

Step up and let people go that are not performing. Embrace performance pay instead paying everyone equally regardless of performance. More visibility, less french invisible management.

Pros

nice and friendly environment to work ( except senior mgmt though ) ... very process orineted which I see as a pros.......

Cons

goog place to work as contractor ...not a firm to work for a long term ... too many political issues around lower -mid level management...no work-life balance

Advice to Senior Management

look after your low-mid level management and team under too... else no time to derail

Pros

Very flat structure - relatively easy access to senior manangement, no hierachy, little tolerance of office politics (although in pockets they do exist). Opportunity for young talent to progress rapidly.

Cons

Key decisions still very much taken in a very small executive cabal - question whether integration of Lehman US will change culture.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing the basics well and the rest will happen.

Pros

The people there were fantastic, and the hours were very reasonable with most people leaving at about 5.30 each day. The office in Canary wharf was a nice location & it had a great staff restaurant

Cons

The work was a bit monotenous, and there wasnt many opportunites to move to different departments other than ops. senior management didnt keep you very updated on what was going on.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more open and transparent about issues going on that people lower down are not privy to. Otherwise the rumor mill will take over

Pros

stable large firm to stay if u want to get pass something

Cons

It is very hard..especially when i started to work with the London Barcap people. Politics, slow to get any thing done, too many middle managers managing. strange appraisal process

Advice to Senior Management

motivation, motivation, not ur middle directors but the foot men doing work...

Pros

Amount of responsibility given is quite good, and is satisfying. There is a lot of autonomy available if you can take it, and can show that you have the initiative to take things and make them work better.

Cons

Lack of respect by senior employees to junior ones. There is a lot of attitude around "I'm a VIP. Everybody else is here only to jump when I say jump". And the worse thing is that lot of jerks do get away with it. There is also a need to suck up to bosses, to have any hopes of making it bigger here.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to rein in the jerks- if there is no-jerks policy, use it. Also, management should be involving or atleast keeping in the loop the people who area actually going to implement their plans.

Pros

growing firm - targeting top tier position - will get there - bob diamond - strong FICC , expanding eq post leh

Cons

brand - lack of culture - no eq biz - oldish population - team work is scarce - canary wharf

Advice to Senior Management

fire non producer, pay well rising stars/stronfg performers - cut inefficeinces, don't pay too many guaranees, don't aim at be GS

Pros

Great pay, fantastic benefits, flat structure

Cons

Positions given to those enjoy building relationships to Group Management, as opposed to doing any real work.

Advice to Senior Management

Wake up and start looking at the people who do the real work around. The best talkers are the worst do-ers. The best have moved on.

Pros

not many now a days, they are ripping first year analysts off, not much upside in working for barclays capital or group.

Cons

they bucket analysts together, so no room for outperformance, only mildly. HR is not very helpful, very annoying with their programs.

Advice to Senior Management

Be sure the the people in the bottom are happy, otherwise they will keep arriving early at home to find jobs elsewhere.

Pros

My team has a great culture, people all generally pull in the same direction and are keen to help.

Cons

Bureaucracy can sometimes be stifling. As with any large organisation experiences can really vary depending on what division and team you work in.

Advice to Senior Management

They are doing a decent job everything considered.