Citizens Financial Group Reviews

Pros

Reasonable Salary
Good benefits
Nice people
Bright spot "heroes" that get the job done

Cons

Antiquated technology / View that technology is a necessary evil rather than a tool of competitive advantage
Strict Hierarchy of management
Tedious work due to technology failures

Advice to Senior Management

It's really bad when employees who understand the state of technology at the bank make comments about not keeping their money with Citizens. More money and/or separation from UK won't solve the problem as others have suggested. Top down management of the bank's technology infrastructure are needed, with much stricter centralized administration, if the bank is to survive in an increasingly tech focused world.

Pros

Benefits, Compensation, Time Off, Peer Respect, Commute

Cons

Resource Availability
Negative Feedback (lack of pats on the back)
Employment Uncertainty

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your employees like human beings

Pros

The work is interesting. Most of the workers are smart and dedicated and helpful. Despite the crowding (or maybe because of it), people are generally very courteous. There's a gym (employees only) and a cafeteria. Security is taken seriously.

Cons

Politics and BS so thick you can cut them with a knife. RBS is cheap and will do anything to save a buck. Employees are constantly laid off and more contractors are constantly brought in. This can cause conflict among managers.

Work/life balance - difficult. Employees cannot access personal e-mail, even on their lunch hour. Offices are packed so full of workers that colds, etc. spread through each department like wildfire, and the parking lot is too small to accommodate everyone, so contractors park offsite and are bussed in. Groups are often forced to have meetings out in the open (with others are working nearby) because there are so few meeting rooms.

Advice to Senior Management

Please treat all of your workers like human beings who have personal lives and fallible immune systems. Listen to the expertise and new ideas each person brings to the organization. Don't pinch pennies and cut corners at the expense of employees' ability to do their work (outdated tools, software, equipment).

Pros

In my branch at least, everyone was extremely fun to work with, friendly, and supportive. My manager was a good guy, who understood how to keep everyone motivated, and working well together. He addressed issues before they became a problem. I worked here as a college student, and they were understanding of my priorities being A) school and B) work at the bank. I was actualy invited to be a part of their student internship program, which entailed bi weekly days spent at the new york headquarters, meeting with high level executives who gave us speechs on what it was like to work high up in the company.

Cons

Working in a bank period is difficult - frequently customers are highly distressed over money, which tends to be very personal, and you need to be able to diffuse that situation. Overall, it was a perfectly find part time job in college, which was good customer service experience, but I saw now real room to advance, unless you saw managing a branch as your ultimate goal.

Pros

The following are the pros of the job:
Hours
Benefits
Employees
Managers
Customers

Cons

I did not enjoy the goals that were assigned on a quarter basis. If you were part-time employed, then you still had to work 5 or 6 days but half days right in the middle of the day.

Advice to Senior Management

Please stop making employees "irritate" customers.

Pros

A sense of security in the job market

Cons

Work load is often too heavy

Advice to Senior Management

None that I want to share

Pros

Excellent Benefits
Best Paid Time Off Ever Seen
Great 401K Match
Competitive Salary
Fair Amount of Autonomy

Cons

Awful HR Department
Communication Needs To Improve

Pros

Benefits great
Potential for growth good
People who you work with are kind
HR department extremely fair with dealing with issues (advocate for employee)

Cons

Pay is unfair (employees who have performed well and have been committed to the company are paid less than new hires)
Work life balance
Too many conference calls and tracking
Micromanagement

Pros

Good benefits
Work life balance is good
If you are someone who is looking for a job and go home it may be for you.

Cons

Technology investment is almost negligible
Compensation does not reward outperformers
Management has little decision making powers

Advice to Senior Management

Don't lose sight of your customers and employees. They are your greatest assets.
Stop focusing on new checking accounts and think of ways to retain customers

Pros

employer pays well compared to other Rhode Island companies, most of the employees are friendly and hard-working, spend on new technology has been consistent

Cons

little chance for internal promotion due to UK influence, firedrill management that does not communicate honestly (asks for open comments, but people are punished for voicing any disagreement with management)

Advice to Senior Management

at least for technology and business services, remove the UK influence and leadership