Blue Cross (MI) Reviews

Pros

Exposure to complex health insurance industry. Good learning opportunity. Opportunity to learn about various parts of the company from operations to underwriting. Good opportunities for career advancement since a large number of employees will be retiring in the near future. People are enjoyable to work with.

Cons

It's very political. A lot of people have been there their whole careers (worked their way up the ranks). Knowledge transfer from old to young is needs improvement. Can be difficult to work across divisions since the company was structured in silos for so long. Can be frustrating to implement ideas due to the political nature of the company.

Advice to Senior Management

Respond more quickly (and proactively) to increased presence of competitors.

Pros

The company's committment to our subscribers/customers. BCBSM does provide worldclass customer service. Additional the company is committed to the communityh.

Cons

While senior management is trying to change this; there favoritism and "who" you know to get a job and keep are still very high in this company. Sometime it is still a "good ole boy' club".

Advice to Senior Management

While reducing the number of staff and making cuts - leader should be looking at the number of ineffective leaders that are in place within the company.

Pros

Stabie history and great benefits

Cons

Entrenched mid-level leadership who cling to their attitudes and views

Advice to Senior Management

Develop employees, grow bench strength, recognize talent, rotate leaders, give employees opportunities, build capabilities in-house instead of massive outsourcing.

Pros

Close to home
Doing the work I enjoy

Cons

Poor leadership
No recognition for all the work I've done

Advice to Senior Management

Learn how to lead
Learn to communicate with us
Thank us for working long hours
Treat us all the same-stop the favoritism
Use my background and skills

Pros

Mission and purpose of organization, high level of professionalism

Cons

Multiple layers of management, hypocritical attitudes and actions of management

Advice to Senior Management

Make an effort to truly support and use the Gallup poll process

Pros

A lot of work, so jobs are plentiful. Not many are well-paid, though. Industry should be on the rise for some time, but the growth of BCBSM completely depends on the competence of its leadership.

Cons

Entrenched in fingerpointing, control issues, union-dominated. Proceduralized beyond reality - nothing can be done without creating a process or procedure. Incredibly CYA. Probably union influenced...

Advice to Senior Management

The Nazi mentality has to go. It is incredibly tiring and stifling to constantly be watched, rated, processed and critiqued. Let people make some mistakes so that creativity is seen as valuable. The performance transformation initiative is a great and necessary idea, but the implementation is very negative. The problem is the union dominance of the everyday employee's attitudes and responses. The union is holding back the company's evolution.

Pros

benefits and stability are the best reasons to work there.

Cons

Corporate culture perpetuates the status quo. People with new and innovative ideas are often ignored, or overlooked, mainly because those who occupy middle management positions lack linear logic skills and project management/program development skills.

Advice to Senior Management

Take a closer look at your middle management team -- managers who have stayed at the same level for years and years. many of them talk a good game, but don't have a clue about managing the Gen X and Y-ers -- and they don't even care. I have been at the company 6 years, and I think that our current senior leadership team is awesome -- it's the managers that aren't smart enough to get on board with the culture change that Mr. Loepp is trying to make happen.

Pros

Nice people who generally care about quality.

Cons

Organzational structure crushes good ideas and often rewards silos. It is important to be in the "in" crowd to ensure that your career doesnt stall. Promotion to the higher levels is very difficult but once you are there you are in for life until they give you a huge buy-out to "retire".

Advice to Senior Management

Make performance matter. You need to reward high performers and continue to sweep out the dead wood.