Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina Reviews

Pros

If you are looking for flexibility, this is the place for you and the company's health insurance and paid time off are very good.

Cons

Salaries are sometimes $5,000 to $10,000 below what other companies pay. Some areas may be a little disorganized.

Pros

The work schedule was regular. No trouble taking leave as needed. Good coworkers and the work was not bad. Nice facilities.

Cons

Time off was not very generous for new employees (first increase doesn't happen until after 5 years). Pay seemed low compared to norms. Communication from management was poor.

Pros

Promote from within, great benefits.

Cons

Quite a bit if drama due to so many employees.

Pros

Comfortable, open and friendly environment.

Empathetic toward employee problems or circumstances and willing to work with them by being flexible.

Hard work is recognized and rewarded.

Whenever a RIF occurs, they bend over backwards to try and reemploy ALL of those being affected by trying to rehire them into available openings, before even THINKING about looking outside the company to fill positions.

ALL executives are available, bright, capable, honorable and dedicated to the success of the company and its employees.

Cons

The #1 complaint that I have which is endemic is that there is a lack of communication throughout the company (main and subsidiaries -- of which there are many). There truly needs to be an executive whose job it is to convey changes within the company (new contracts, contracts which we are bidding on, new hires, new developments, problems the company is facing, etc.) changes that are continually occuring. Too often, problems are aired AFTER nothing can be done, or contracts are awarded and few are aware of the success.

Gossip is a BLOOD SPORT in this company. Be careful and do not engage.

Other complaints are:

They are WAY below the industry average on their severance package. WAY BELOW. Generally, companies will provide a sterling employee who has always had a very good to excellent review, one month of pay for each year served. This company will ONLY pay 12 weeks...period. No room for negotiation, no other consideration.

You are also ONLY paid for 240 hours of accrued vacation, regardless of how many hours are available to you. IF, however, you have worked for the company 15 years, they will pay 50% of all hours available OVER the 240 hours. Employees always get nervous between years 11-15 for this reason because, if they are going to RIF your position, this is a factor against you. Why 15 is the magic number, I do not know.

Advice to Senior Management

While the executives are all aware of key changed occuring at the company, these same changes are rarely conveyed to the employees. Contracts sought, competed, won and lost, are only communicated AFTER the fact. This presupposes that none of the employees either care, or are able to effect the outcome. This is not so. Very little cross-pollination occurs, subsidiaries, divisions, offices all operate well within their own spheres of influence, but could operate better and improve more if the artificial walls were torn down and more information about each subsidiary were known. Don't beleive me? Ask ANY employee to name as MANY subsidiaries as possible. If they cannot name more than 5? You are NOT doing what needs to be done and are missing opportunities. SOME method, a web feed (RSS) to employees, an intra-BLOG with employee chat, an employee-only web page that to which ALL news of ALL company and subsidiary developments (good, bad, other) are posted, should be created. You are missing opportunities.

Pros

Stable employment in area of seasonal fluctuations. Excellent benefit package and tuition reimbursement came in handy for my situation. Excellent training program. Large emphasis on teamwork.

Cons

Without college degree, no hope of long-term advancement. Will be in training for the first 5 months. Job can be stressful at times and repetitive. Keeping up morale can be tough if not right manager. Too many chiefs.

Advice to Senior Management

N/A

Pros

There are some great folks there that know how to get the job done despite all of the organizational shortcomings. The knowledge of employees’ mainframe systems and claims processing is unmatched.

Cons

This company has a practice of hiring talent well above its needs or capacity hoping newer folks will help fix things when the problem can only be addressed by senior management to begin with. The overall organizational structure is purported as a “strong matrix” but is clearly a functional one. Cronyism and nepotism are rampant, there are no priorities set by leadership, technicians are managers, VP are former technicians (to include CIO). The architects at this company really call the shots, but honestly are not real architects and have little understanding of emerging technologies and systems being deployed. The “leadership and management” training offered to managers is severely missing the mark as evidenced by their hidden numbers of turnover especially with contractors – it is a turn and burn shop. Save yourself a headache if you are common-sense oriented. These folks just don't understand project or program management at all and have fragmented policies across all of their lines of business. If you missed the 80’s style of management and technology then go for it because it is like a time warp backwards. Columbia SC has very little competition in the way of alternative jobs, so be careful getting stuck there – especially if you exercise their relocation package.

Advice to Senior Management

It is time to invoke a positive culture and new era of systems development with in BCBSSC and let new blood in to lead the technology and business functions.

Pros

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of SC is a company that provides opportunities for its employees to advance by providing training and continuing education at the workplace. There tuition assistance program is one of the best. They will pay up to 75% of tuition and books up to 5,000.00 per year for full time employees as long as they are pursuing a degree program. They reward and encourage employees to be proactive and innovative through recognition and awards. Along with excellent benefits: vacation, holiday pay, medical, dental, vision, long term and short term disability, matching 401K, employee assistance program, and wellness program, there are fitness centers available on most cites which allow spouses or partners.

Cons

There are a variety of government five-year contracts held by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of SC which may not be suitable for the faint at heart.

Advice to Senior Management

When there are reduction in force due to loss of contract(s), management should be considered also.

Pros

There are none unless you're starving to death, but eating cat food is better than working here.

Cons

Too many to list. Maniacal IT management that treats people as commodities. Burn 'em out and get more.

Advice to Senior Management

Retire so new people with a clue can get hired.

Pros

The investment they make in their employees is incredible. The benefits are generous to say the least, but it's the "treat your employees at least as good as your most valued customer" concept embraced by the executive staff that makes them stand out.

Cons

The lack of performance based accountability. Effort is consistently valued more than production. How well you "follow rules" seems to be the primary (if not only) thing considered when determining an employees worth.

Advice to Senior Management

When someone has athority that's not centered in leadership, even someone with good intentions, it creates an unhealthy work environment. (And often the leadership position is replaced with a bully high on power that's more concerned with having their ego stroked than encouraging teamwork). Employees look to their managers and supervisors for leadership. A commitment to enforce company policy does not qualify a person for this role. I think taking a little time to address leadership quality would be a worthwhile investment.