Citizens Financial Group Reviews in Providence, RI Area

Pros

great team and hours are reasonable

Cons

bad leadership, terrible communication down the chain of command

Advice to Senior Management

better training for leaders

Pros

Great benefits, better health care and discounts than anywhere else I've been offered. Plenty of sick days and holidays too.

Cons

Undercompensated, high stress, you basically do everything the Manager does and get paid half the wage. Promised promotions and pay increases which never happened.

Pros

Great benefits for anyone looking to go back to school.

Cons

Not easy to move up.

Pros

Great salary and free coffee. (for now)

Cons

Company in rough shape. Well intentioned, but not able to retain momentum for much needed change. Peers are disrespectful of one another and nobody speaks up!

Advice to Senior Management

Time to make some tough decisions. Trim the fat. Start fresh.

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

Great Paid time off package
Good 401k
Some managers allow telecommuting
Most employees are friendly and competent
Decent work life balance but it varies group to group

Cons

Despite making great profits benefits keep declining.
RBS incompetence nearly caused collapse but they treat Citizens employees as second class citizens.
Continues to outsource rather than hire locally
New employees are paid higher salaries than employees who want to advance
Management is very cliquey, the same groups of people advance.

Advice to Senior Management

Citizens used to be a place that rewarded longevity. Why not anymore?
Too many managers force subordinates to do tasks they don't want to do. Why are they managers
if they don't want to do managerial duties?
When the bank's profits rise share it with employees, not just senior management. Everyone
contributes to the success of the bank

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

There are a lot of things I enjoy my place of work. There are a ton of great people. The atmosphere in the office is largely relaxed- it is certainly many steps removed from the chaos of a trading desk, for instance. All of these things make coming into work something that I enjoy.

Cons

Constant change- as well as a RIDICULOUS amount of grey area that one must presume is a result of management not wanting to step on THEIR management's toes- these have been my biggest gripes. Lack of guidance and support from senior management is a big missing piece for me. If they engaged us, the employees, they would see SUCH a better return on employee engagement. With the resources and might of a company this size (CFG is a subsidiary of the behemoth Royal Bank of Scotland), things could be run so much smoother.

Advice to Senior Management

Engage, engage, engage. Morale matters most.

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