Capital One Reviews

Pros

appears to be currently growing.

Cons

Not employee friendly or merit based. Poor communication throughout organization.

Pros

Experience in Capital One's Information Based Strategy (using lots of data and number crunching to optimize business decisions) teaches skill sets that are easily transferable to a variety of industries and are in demand by other employers.

Very good benefits: 401k match, 3 weeks vacation (but no one keeps track of how much vacation time you use), modern facilities.

Above-average work-life balance, however it can vary from team to team. You can expect 3 to 4 60+ hour weeks each year, but the late hours are often justified and the extra effort is usually rewarded.

People have a human side which makes the office an entertaining place to be.

Cons

People are high caliber (top 20%) but aren't truly elite. A previous commenter said that Capital One tends to attract people who didn't receive offers or washed out of top tier banks and consulting firms, and I have to agree with him/her.

The company is big, hierarchical and slow to adapt (still uses Windows XP, MS Office 2003 in 2011). Assignments tend to be boring, formulaic, and get bogged down in bureaucracy. Middle management obsesses over meaningless analytic details.

Limited space, don't expect a cubicle or desk. You will have a corner of a table in a small meeting room that may or may not have a window.

There's the potential to come up with a big idea and drive it into market, but you'll spend most of your time jumping through analytic and procedural hoops that have little tangible benefit.

The procedures and infrastructure act as a crutch and don't offer the same learning opportunities that may exist in less structured organizations.

Promotions are frequent (30% annual promotion rate, above-average workers are promoted every 2 years) however they tend to be promotions in name only, as people continue to do the same type of work that they were doing before.

Job roles have become so specialized that few people have the opportunity to see how the full value chain is integrated.

Company's culture is dominated with empty buzzwords like "value chain"

Can be clique-y and some people tend to hold a grudge, although this is true everywhere.

Pros

Levels do not matter when it comes to adding input or suggestions/comments/concerns. I have worked in several dept's at Capital One and you truely are treated like an equal no matter if you are entry level, or a Senior level. Capital One gives all its associates the opportunity to learn and grow from those at a higher level and is very patient and encouraging when it comes to personal growth and development.

Cons

The performance management cycle is bittersweet. If you perform well, you are rewarded highly. But, if you work in a large department that means you can get lost in the mix of other associates you are calibrated with at the end of the year. Its hard to stand out and shine if you work within a large group of people at the same level.

Advice to Senior Management

With the growth of the Bank and the hiring blitz going on right now Capital One is bringing a lot of external talent at the higher levels. This concerns me if the culture of the company starts to shift with so many external hires. Capital One has the best culture in the industry and one of the best cultures in the United States. I would advise to stay true to the founding principles that started this company and made it great, and to not allow all of the external hires reshape the culture of the company.

Pros

Day one benefits, salary, location.

Cons

C1 thinks that passing out Jolly Ranchers, rolling around snack carts and catering in food keeps employees happy. SO NOT TRUE!

Trainers are two-faced and play favorites!

They insist that their "Half-assed" training methods are sufficient for learning the job!

They put extreme pressure on brand new employees while in the "Nest" meaning, training while on the production floor.

Not guaranteed to compensate employees for time worked before they've separated from the company. Pretty much have to fight for your money.

"CUSTOMER SERVICE ON STEROIDS," as they call it, is a joke! QA (Quality) marks off for every little detail. It's like they set people up for failure right from the start!

Advice to Senior Management

Stop being overly critical of brand new employess before you've given them a fair chance to learn the job.

Pay employees what you owe them after they've parted ways with the organization! Otherwise, you may find yourselves in a lawsuit!

Pros

good salary
nice analytical team
Nice Benefits

Cons

no career progression
No real guidance from Senior Management

Advice to Senior Management

It would be better

Pros

-resources are there to do your best work
-bright co-workers
-beautiful facilities
-company quickly learns from past mistakes and moves on
-conservative financial management increases probability for longer-term success
-analytics (fact-based decisions) reduces tendencies for inefficient meetings & discussions

Cons

-good people management skills are not fully appreciated nor rewarded
-over-reliance on performance management process, comp & ben features to "engage" & motivate associates
-soft skills often rated more highly than actual results
-must be OK with being a mobile worker (no place to call your own)
-performance management process is often used to defend political decisions
-analytics can over-shadow common sense & lessons learned from experience

Advice to Senior Management

-show true value in people-management skills by rating leaders on a regular basis
-encourage "poaching" of associates internally to separate posers from real leaders

Pros

Focus on career development, good work life balance balance

Cons

Salary slightly lower than industry at sr analyst level

Pros

Great work/life balance with flex time and work from home options.
Base compensation is solid.
Many experienced co-workers and managers

Cons

Too many project managers with little business knowledge.
Decisions are often made without input from employees affected by changes.
Too many layers of management.
Innovation from anyone other than project managers is discouraged.
Management not open to suggestions and feedback.

Advice to Senior Management

Solicit employee feedback prior to making widespread process changes.
Eliminate unnecessary layers of management.
Offer more rotational and promotional opportunities outside of the corporate office.

Pros

Most of the other employees are cool. Cap One is very good about helping you get days off if needed for any reason.

Cons

You have very little time off the phone. It's hard to get a different position. The QAing system needs some work.

Pros

Capital One is a brand that many future employers will recognize and carries some clout in this area.

Contractors are well-compensated for work.

Working from home and flexible scheduling allows for a nice work-life balance.

Fast moving.

Nice co-workers.

Cons

Contracting feels like being a stranger in a strange land. There is a certain hierarchy that is built into the way things are done there, and contractors are at the bottom of the rung. It is reinforced not only by differently colored badges (Yellow vs. Blue) and CONT after one's name on email and IM, but also by involvement and perks, such as not being able to use the gym, health center, or Career Development Center. Also contractors are excluded from other events with the exception of department potlucks.

Space is at a premium at West Creek, so don't expect a cubicle or an office to work in. The PODS can be very noisy, thus headphones are a necessity.

I have personally found that several managers dangle the conversion carrot to increase productivity from contractors only to renege at a later date. The decisions on who to make an associate are not always clear.

Do not expect much in the way of training or assistance after the first week or so in the job. This is SPARTA.

All that being said, a good manager can negate many of those issues. Managers who view contractors as team members rather than as resources make all the difference.

Culturally, Capital One moves very fast. Reorgs and change management are very common. However, these decisions are not always well- considered or fully funded. Capital One loves processes and data, but doesn't always know what to do with it.

Too many meetings, acronyms, and as other posters described, empty words.