Selective Insurance Reviews

Pros

fair compensation
competent management
able to balance work and life

Cons

location
favoritism
poor recognition structure
small to none bonus

Pros

Good location if you want to work local.

Cons

The pay and raises are extremely low.

Advice to Senior Management

Acknowledge contributions of non-management..

Pros

Vacation, benefits, pay . A certain amount of freedom. Company tries to be transparent to the working people.

Cons

Very upper management heavy. Huge expense loads. Corp and Regional Managers who haven't done the job in years make changes without asking their staff or ignore their input which increases expenses, creates loads of work and wasted effort for everyone. Unorganized.

Advice to Senior Management

Ask the front-line people and their supervisors what can be done to help the company grow and save expenses. Don't ask Management who haven't done job in years or "yes" people. Senior Mgt is too involved in daily activites when I was there.

Pros

good company to work for

Cons

too much work for the pay

Advice to Senior Management

balance!

Pros

Flexible and great co-workers to work with

Cons

Little opportunities for career development

Pros

Excellent benefits, time off, bonuses and pay. A large, yet strangely designed building with a cafeteria, gym (at least when I was there), massage therapy and more. For people living in Northern New Jersey, a "reverse" commute. A large treasure chest of money behind the company. Financially sound. The company has enjoyed slow but steady growth for over 80 years. Very conservative in its investments, which has kept it financially well for so long.

The company also has a strong, dedicated agent network that keeps it well fed. They treat their agents well -- and will do almost anything for them.

Cons

In the middle of nowhere. You're inside, all day, no escape. The culture is odd -- it's a real "wannabe" big company, but very hickish in its thinking. Plus, I was part of a team that treated vendors very, very poorly. They promised vendors lots of work, but in reality, Selective is stingy with budgets. So, they get vendors to do considerable amounts of work for free or little money, with no intention of giving them any more, and thereby misleading them. To me, it was unethical.

The place is also extremely inefficient. LOADS of meetings -- sometimes for days at a time -- but very little achieved. Yet, they want to meet certain goals. Weird. A lot of wasted time that becomes quite frustrating.

The atmosphere is also politically very charged. You have to watch who you're friends with.

Outside of their agents and Sussex County, the company is vitually unknown... which will probably mean trouble for it in the future. They're up against household name companies like Alstate, Progressive, and others.

Advice to Senior Management

Please, please... hire an efficiency expert! You have thousands of hours yearly going out the window on meetings, and meetings about meetings. Also, do a search and hire some people OUTSIDE the insurance industry -- the fresh blood with bring fresh perspectives. Also, spend some money on advertising. When I worked there, I had to constantly explain who I worked for to everyone.

Pros

Pay is good, comparable to others in area, pay is performance driven

Cons

High caseload, changing directives, seems management is top-heavy and would prefer to cut adjusters rather than cut upper levels of the company

Advice to Senior Management

don't forget about the workers who actually have to carry out your directives, they are the eyes and ears of your company

Pros

Benefits, 401k and bonus. Local.

Cons

Top heavy management sitting in offices with nothing to do but write reports and no communication with the "little people". Lack of communication between supervisor and employee. Promotions are given to unqualified, no education and inexperience people. Temporary employees are treated better than employees and also hired with better position than employees who have been there for many years. Human resources will disclose information given confidentiality and their behavior unethical.

Advice to Senior Management

Cut down on top heavy management, remember the backbone of the company "claims". Before employees are promotion, have mangement review their qualifications. Hire an outside firm to review Human Resources department because some HR managers are unethical. Lastly, too many friends of friends enter into decisions for the company in hiring. "DRESS CODE" too many dress unprofessional. Two reviews a year for supervisors, as they need to remember they should be accountable also.

Pros

They are very financially stable.

Non performance-related layoffs are rare.

They are always striving to improve.

Cons

Vacation time and other perks are limited.

Advice to Senior Management

More attention and training should be given to Middle and Lower management. These are the people who can have the greatest impact on performance and retention.

Pros

Good benefits. Tuition reimbursement. Designation tests are paid for and bonus given upon completion. The building is secure and clean.

Cons

Incompetent management. Call center environment. Small salary increases. Extremely under paid compared to similar positions with other companies in the same geographical location. Micro management. Plummeting stock prices. Only one HR person and there is not an open door policy. Any complaints made by you against anyone will be shared with that person and your name will be disclosed. Training is inadequate. There are no opportunities to move up unless you are willing to move to Branchville NJ. Lateral move is available,

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs more training on coaching and not using position for power.