Liberty Mutual Reviews in Boston, MA Area

Pros

Good benefits, stable company, profitable company

Cons

Too much of a political atmosphere. NO work/life balance. Extremely conservative. Senior management are treated like gods rather than just normal people. I would not recommend this company to any friends or other colleagues.

Advice to Senior Management

Demonstrate that work/life balance actually means something rather than just saying the words. Have better communication with employees and reduce the melodrama in corporate. Just because employees have children or spouse does not mean that special attention needs to be granted. Just keep in mind that is what is called consideration.

Pros

Independence, commission, hours, freedom, environment

Cons

no growth within the company

Advice to Senior Management

none

Pros

Relationships at peer level was great
Good opportunity to learn about insurance
Pay was good at the beginning but got worse with time - not enough to live in Boston
Training & incentives - CPCU and other insurance designations

Cons

Lack of racial and educational diversity in middle and senior management - majority of the main players have worked in the same company for a long time and do not allow ideas not consistent with their beliefs.

Promotion for MBAs is difficult if you do not come out of the corporate development program or corporate strategy group - lack of promotion means your salary grows at below the inflation rate.

Managers are very young and immature incapable of making decisions without checking with their bosses. The criteria for promotion is not people skills but technical ability and preference of the supervisor.

Advice to Senior Management

Diverse the organization - this talk about looking like your customers falls flat when you consider the number of minorities in middle an upper management. Do a better job integrating and giving opportunities to non CDP MBAs. LAstly, please have a better criteria for selecting managers, the ones I had were really morale killers - young, inexperienced, brash and uncultured

Pros

Pay is decent, as are benefits
HQ is convenient in center of Boston
Relatively stable company/industry
A lot of training opportunities

Cons

Felt like I was treated like an hourly wage high school student rather than salaried knowledge worker - had to account for every hour not physically in office and working from home was not allowed even during blizzard and for people with young kids needing some flexibility
Extremely conservative culture - business formal
Quants/actuaries run the show despite whether they have zero managerial aptitude or experience
Antiquated attitude towards technology and infrastructure
Insular culture resistant to change unless it is internally driven

Advice to Senior Management

Unless you start hiring/promoting people with management skills and human skills rather than just quant jocks, you will never become the Tier 1 player you so want to be.

Pros

Challenging environment, lots of smart well educated people

Cons

Very political organization, many egos that need to be appeased

Advice to Senior Management

Make a better effort to explain certain decisions to employees

Pros

Stable environment in an unstable economy. Good benefits (401K, pension, salary). Good work/life balance if you take the initiative and don't let them force you into more work.

Cons

VERY stuffy, corporate environment, not conducive to the next wave of workers. Decisions aren't made looking for the best outcome, but based on objectives and fear of angering Sr. Managers. Very slow to change.

Advice to Senior Management

Lead, motivate, and then back up the decisions your employee's make. Let them grow, I think you'll be surprised what the talented employees of this company could do with just a short leash.

Pros

laid back, great work/life, interesting projects, you are given freedom to present on topics that you wanted or found interesting, working with smart actuarial team (phd's from top schools)

Cons

stuffy corporate environment (worked in the home office), bureaucratic, tons of red tape, you will not be pushed to excel unless you have the desire to do so

Advice to Senior Management

take some time to get involved with projects...improve communication between the different groups, more transparent office environment is needed between the groups

Pros

Job security and profit sharing

Cons

Poor talent management. Career tracks can be vague and management positions are often given to unqualified employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in continual training programs to increase efficiency.

Pros

Good Hours and nice department

Cons

Low on salary even with years experience if you don't come from an Ivy League College

Advice to Senior Management

Treat all employees the same regardless of position

Pros

Good work environment, good co-workers, satisfaction in making a difference. Challenging projects, excellent opportunities to help others. Responsibility is really part of the culture.

Cons

Can be slow to move, can be political at times. Can have the appearance of favoring youth over age and experience. Seeing 2010'ers wearing flip flops at work, unbelievable.

Advice to Senior Management

McGlennon and Cressey are brilliant. Especially, never, ever let Ted Kelly retire. When the sheep on Wall St. ran off the mortgage derivative cliff, Ted stood back; and walked in the other direction. We're a stronger co for it.