Société Générale Reviews

Pros

Good team
Good collaboration
Challenging work
Lots of variety

Cons

Tight project timeframes
Tight budgets
Current economic cycle is hitting hard in some areas

Advice to Senior Management

Don't let global strategies get in the way of local success

Pros

they offer a fairly good remuneration package to new comers

Cons

they expect you to speak french
sad to see all those incompetent french expats becomes team lead in the asia offices
the culture is not international at all

Pros

Societe Generale offers a great perspective in terms of careers mixing the culture of Europe and the US

Cons

Sometimes the mix of all the cultures can be hard and the financial world can be a little bit too fast.

Pros

Work life balance
Management will recognize your effort
Good short term onsite oppurtunities

Cons

lot of variable components in salary

Pros

Flexible working environment
Good work/life balance
Reasonable hours
Exposure to truly international bank (in NY)
Many good professionals as managers (not all)
Can make a lot of money if strongly desired by management in a market-related position

Cons

Once you get to senior VP / Director In New York, you have essentially three types of citizens:
- The French nationals, who got sent overseas from HQ and are therefore well positioned in France
- The "mercenaries", talented professionals who were aggressively recruited from other institutions, and are well paid
- The rest. Career advancement and opportunities will be limited in this category, so take the job, learn, but do not expect much in terms of advancement.

Advice to Senior Management

I will opine on SG's Americas' presence.
Main problem is that it is an OK retail bank in France, but an "also ran" commercial bank in the USA, and a mediocre investment bank in the USA. Senior management expects Goldman Sachs-like performance in the Americas. When this is not met, significant finger-pointing between silos happens. It has some strong niches, notably export and trade finance.
My advice to management:
1) lower expectations, play to its strengths (PF, Export Finance, some market activities)
2) reduce headcount at MD level (too many promotions were given to compensate for sub-market comp), not at the less significant Associate / VP level. Too many middle managers.
3) The Street understands comp is sub-par. Try to revert this by focusing on profitable segments, paying them well, and eliminating the "fat" (still a lot!).

Pros

Good work/life balance. Benefits package is also pretty good. They have offices everywhere around the world, which is also nice.

Cons

They do not have many good opportunities open and you have to wait many years for the right opportunities to come by.

Advice to Senior Management

If you don't want to lose your rising "stars", make some room for the younger generations.

Pros

business development, innovation and people

Cons

bureaucraty, IT management not in line with business needs

Advice to Senior Management

rely more on people and let them do their job by reducing bureaucraty

Pros

The name, the experience, the people, the security, and in my case the location was also convenient and the work atmosphere was pleasant

Cons

The salary was not high enough, yet better than most Lebanese banks. Some people got ahead without deserving it as is the case almost everywhere.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work. A more objective performance evaluation system would better reflect Societe Generale's worldwide image, and would be more compliant with the mother company's norms.

Pros

Opportunties to learn french and very professional envirnoment

Cons

Talent is lopsided and internal processes are overly complicated.

Pros

work-life balance is good. career oppurtunity is available.

Cons

no growth as its ruled by french. work relation no good between teams,

Advice to Senior Management

NA