Countrywide Financial Reviews in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Area

Pros

Countrywide provides a solid benefits package and gives employees the opportunities to learn new skills and interact with a good group of coworkers in the Texas facilities. Countrywide is a good starting point for people out of college, with a somewhat lower than average compensation structure they give many younger employees good entry opportunities before moving on to hiring paying employers. Additionally, the company encourages employees to take on new opportunities and to learn new skills (granted this very rarely increases compensation). The opportunity to grow your skill set is very good here, but advancing your career in this top heavy company is unlikely.

Cons

While I have only been with the company a few years, the difference between the corporate culture and how upper management deal with lower employees now and when I started is vastly different. What used to be a good company to work for with a engaged staff has turned into a bitter environment plagued by finger pointing and indecision.

Advice to Senior Management

Remember where you came from. With such a large amount of senior management having started in low level, front line positions the unappreciative and condescending attitude of much of the senior management staff is puzzling to say the least. Also, the company should look at ways to even out the management breakdown between California and Texas. Departments keeping 75% of management in California, but having less than 40% of their total employees there seems to be the norm here.

Pros

The compensation (salary) tends to be very competitive compared with other companies in the same industry.

Cons

Extremely poor communication between senior to mid-level management and employees. Too many layers of upper management. All layoffs occur at the "worker" level and rarely at the inflated management levels. Failure to make the right, tough decisions when the secondary market collapsed to downsize the company have almost resulted in bankruptcy and a subsequent buyout by Bank of America.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop protecting your friends and family members (nepotism is rampant) and inflated upper managements structures (EMD's, SMD's, MD's, etc.). To late but what has been needed is LEADERSHIP and demonstrating a willingness to take tough steps to keep the company afloat.

Pros

Health benefits are reasonably priced. Having the ability to carry over unused vacation year over year is a good option. Most of the bank holidays are honored with the exception of Veterans day and Columbus day. Career opportunities fall in line with how the business is performing rather than accomplishments and abilities. A promotion/ hiring freeze has been in place for almost a year now. This has stopped the career growth of many employees and we have lost some great people because of it.

Cons

Because of the unethical practices of the business it is almost embarrassing to tell people where you work. The pay is poor relative to other similar jobs at other companies. Time off and work-life balance is very average.

Advice to Senior Management

Better retention and development of human capital would go a long way.

Pros

benefits if you can stand to stay long enough to qualify for them.

Cons

micromanagement and lack of respect for employees - no one in my department smiles or seems happy to be doing their jobs. we are supposed to be in the business of helping people and no one cares because they are so miserably controlled by management and the Aspect time management system nightmare. even long term employees are unhappy with this department and most are unhappy with the departments they came from. not a good recommendation.

Advice to Senior Management

1. get people off of the Aspect time micromanagement system. you are turning everyone into clock watchers who are afraid of non-compliance for missing their pathetic 10 minute scheduled break. it interferes with a normal natural work flow.
2. give us casual fridays. what is the big deal? we don't have face to face interaction with our customers.
3. don't make employees, especially new employees you recruited because you disparately need them, feel like you don't trust them at all.