Credit Suisse Reviews in London, UK Area

Pros

This is an investment bank with a very relaxed culture. The work life balance is very good, with a typical days work of 9hrs.

Cons

The compensation is not the most competitive here but there are other benefits in working for the company that in a way offsets this.

Advice to Senior Management

I feel that the strategy adopted by the Senior management is a winning strategy. It has helped teh company in the past difficult periods.

Pros

Great environment, cafe, gym, etc. Support employees in taking course/training, and getting certificate. Efforts were rewarded.

Cons

Playing the rules and visibility is more important in promotion. Long hours and lots of weekend work.

Advice to Senior Management

Supposing one employee to finish two people's work is not realistic.

Pros

good compensation and bonus, a company well respected in the market with some good guys working there with with real ability

Cons

very swiss centric on certain areas and with little growth for people outside of the perceived banking markets, week middle management and little leadership

Advice to Senior Management

improve the quality of the middle management, empower teams and staff to make decisions invest in people dont just say you are doing it actually do it

Pros

Programme Manager maintained an excellent view on work/life balance for his teams

Cons

Director completely inadequate communications with staff and direct reports

Advice to Senior Management

When a Director, it's key to maintain contact with and be available to your direct reports and not keep them in the dark regarding critical issues.

Pros

Accommodating to work/family life depending on your particular area especially for those with children obligations
Value and Respect for those of different religiouns and cultures

Cons

Difficult to move internally before spending at least 18 months in your role.
Lack of support from senior management
Lack of investment in IT solutions to reoccuring problems which will hold the business back and potential loss of clients.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more willing to lend supprt to their teams in times of lack of human resources and perform roles not necessarily in their job desrciption during difficult times.
Push for more investment in IT resources.

Pros

Work life balance, great gym, great communication, great opportunities, help with career management from managers etc.

Cons

salaries are not entirely market competitive

Advice to Senior Management

n/a

Pros

you get a fair deal if you are in the inner crowd

Cons

Long hours - depending on the departments

Pros

Good work/life balance
Mobility
Smart team members

Cons

Recognition of work is poor
Incompetent senior mngt - Can not even tell the team what the strategic direction of his department is
One of the worst bonus claw back in the industry, yet base is on par or below the industry.

Pros

Good to work for in terms of use of latest technology (relative to other investment banks). Lots of HR initiatives about career development (great if you have time for such things)

Cons

Culture of pressenteism - very long hours and patchy project management. Every day brings panic about 'urgent' requirements. Change management means hideous amounts of red-tape where you have to spell out in microscopic detail how to deploy your software, usually outside of work hours because the operations team are in a different time zone. Development teams operate in silos and communication between teams is passively hostile, which I put down to a combination overwork and the competitive culture that has infested the place... Canary Wharf can be a pain to commute to - Jubilee line breaks down all the time, and then the DLR gets overloaded. There are now too many people working in the area generally for the transport system to cope with...

Advice to Senior Management

Do something about the lack of work life balance in IT - Hire more people, or at least replace the ones leaving. Allow people to work from home... Some people in management roles are agressive and clueless about what motivates people they work with. The company should keep up the investment in new technologies... Managment should try and foster a collabrative culture...

Pros

good management, opportunities to perform and constant feedback

Cons

little bit too far to travel