Pros

Can pay well when times are good. Typically good information technology platforms that are sometimes cutting edge. High priority business obviously get the biggest bang for the buck, but there are some dinosaur projects and systems out there that are funded because of who the managers or system owners know.

Cons

Frequent layoff cycles terminating sometimes good employees because a technology, system or business is no longer considered 'strategic'. Rather than retrain good employees who don't have the required skills, Credit Suisse would rather layoff and rehire staff who are already skilled in the new technologies or businesses. This has happened frequently over the years and even people who thought they were 'safe' (once a strategic project/business/technology) were dumped abruptly.

Major changes in IT management happen frequently and teams are known to be told to stop paddling and switch directions. This wastes TONS of money - if this company had consistent leadership that would develop a long term plan (more that just a year or two) it would save tons of money.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop treating your people like a commodity and show some interest in them as people. Don't promote people based upon who they know and apply the same rules to all staff equally. You let too many managers get away with a ton of BS because they scream louder or know someone powerful in the organization. Too much politics.

Pros

work environment is positive with greater flexibility to perform your job. however, recent branding effort is placing more constrictions on creativity.

Cons

difficult to achieve promotions in research group. three years minimum in seat necessary to even be considered and, generally speaking, very few achieve promotions on first attempt

Advice to Senior Management

create more opportunity for associates to show skill set.

Pros

Great benefits, competitive pay, nice location.

Cons

IT leadership is lacking vision and has no staying power. People are promoted based on personal relationships with senior management, not competence, and it shows.

Advice to Senior Management

Resign and replace yourselves with competent people

Pros

Bulge bracket firm. Easily recognizable by clients and investors

Cons

Huge organization. Senior management changed too frequently. When management changed, the new leader brought in his own guys and ran the show his own way, ignoring what was done previously.

Advice to Senior Management

Need more stability. Promote from within.

Pros

Positive Work Culture, Good People, Promotes the transparency, Rewards for meticulous people is there.
Good People, Motivation level is increased sometimes.

Cons

Slogging is too much sometimes but that is said to be required due to project pressures. Especially if working as contractor need to be bit careful.

Advice to Senior Management

Can work on improving work life balance. Focus more on permamnet jobs rather than sub-contracting the jobs to other companies.

Pros

Internal Mobility where they promote and assist employees to move across to different departments. Training provided for employees are also relevant and abundant.

Cons

The organization of the MNC makes it very flat. Relatively less chances for career progression. Guess it would be very much the same for other large corporations.

Advice to Senior Management

Not been there long enough to comment on the management. Until now all seems acceptable.

Pros

They offer pretty good benefits.

Cons

Expect you to work very long hours; uninteresting work. Poor work-life balance. In the interview I asked if they offered flex time. They said yes. Later they told me that I needed to work core hours of 9-to-5 but I had the freedom to come earlier or stay later!

Very top-down direction; the boss tells you what to do and you do it that way.

I'm a programmer and the technology was old and they are very slow to consider anything new.

Advice to Senior Management

Empower the employees to make some decisions on their own.

Pros

Above-average compensation
High level goals are communicated, chain of command and responsibilities, generally, is clear
Staff generally pull in the same direction
Work-personal life balance is espoused, and HR is living up to this

Cons

IT infra not integrated i.e. distinct standards and processes per division (but integration to one- bank infra is ongoing)
Not enough experience to state further assessments

Advice to Senior Management

Not enough experience to state advices, but an advice, as with most banks, to streamline IT systems to save cost (among other benefits)

Pros

Friendly and welcoming environment. Strong team ethic. Relaxed culture and atmosphere and less snobbish than other top tier investment banks.

Cons

Not as well organised and structured HR compared with others. Lower compensation than other top tier banks. Office politics common.

Advice to Senior Management

Improved compensation. Setup of programs to recruit candidates interested in career change from different industries as most job postings are too specific to prior banking knowledge when in fact candidates from different fields and industries can easily be taught banking knowledge and can offer a very diverse skill set and level of thought.

Pros

Excellent senior management.
Excellent benefits
One of the best investment banks in the world
CS does a tremendous amount to support their employees while in the job. Whether it's career training or supporting employees they had to let go, they're great.

Cons

Like any IB, the hours are long. You have to deal with over-inflated egos. When the business environment changes, you could be out of a job fast.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work!