USAA Reviews

Pros

Location of USAA to my home and opportunity.

Cons

Uptight and I hear they get rid of the older employees. I have not experienced this myself though.

Advice to Senior Management

The dress code could be a little less strict for those that don't see customers face to face.

Pros

Great atmosphere.
Great benefits.
Two gyms, several restaurants, and Many other amenities .
You can feel proud to work for such a reputable company.

Cons

LOW pay... My offer (in 2010 for an IT entry level position) was $48,000. Elsewhere, my offer was upward of $60,000.
If have not previously been in the military, moving up through management is nearly imposible.

Advice to Senior Management

The IT department is very unorganized. I think due to the low pay, the employees are not as efficient and ambitious.

Pros

Extensive training, great team environment

Cons

Call center environment
IEX for scheduling (time clock)

Pros

you get great benefit for sure, company has a very family friendly atmosphere, amazingly grateful customers so you don't ever have to be ashamed of who you work for

Cons

all the typical issues you would expect at a larger organization, there are always politics at the higher level, how it affects you really depend on where you are and what you do

Advice to Senior Management

some leadership is good at standing up for the base level employees who do the real work, some leadership are not, stand up for those under your care should not be a hit or miss attribute, if you don't have a spine you are not fit to lead

Pros

Some of the company benefits such as 401k and earned time off accrual.

Cons

In my opinion there was absolutely no consideration given for past experience and knowledge when hiring newbies or really for that matter in their selection of trainees and management personnel. You have heard alot about having to sell sell sell. Actually, it is more of a situation where you must somehow convince each caller that they need to speak with someone else about another product and transfer them. This is casually ok'd upon by the caller because the USAA rep must use the antiquated script (most call centers threw that out 10 years ago) "in order to better assist you today, I will need to ask you some clarifying questions". I agree with the some of the other posts, in that ratings or job performance is heavily weighted to "referrals" that there is little opportunity for those who really want to assist the callers.
In addition, mid-flight changes to salary increases were a constant.

Advice to Senior Management

Change the format of the employee engagement survey to ask real questions, without avoiding the subjects that have been avoided for so long.

Pros

Benefits and onsite facilities are great.

Cons

Was told this is a sales positions, no incentive for sales and lousy pay. If hired you go through one week of new employee orientation. Second week you are put through Insurance School (300+ pages condensed into 30 over one week). The third week you spend in a 2 week class on how to answer the phone. You are then scheduled by the licensing department to take your state exam to become licensed. If you don't pass on the third time you are fired. During my training class 6 people jumped ship because of test. All of my family is former military and does not remember USAA doing business their current way. It's all about sales with no compensation and constant monitoring of everything. I work at a bank and make double what I did at USAA for the same job with less stress. Was told I would be working in the Tampa Campus and then after the 4th week was told we were going to the Sabel Park Office, trip time from Tampa Campus, 1 hour and 35 minutes one way! Stress of job and constant fear of upper management not worth the time or pay. USAA's way of doing business if very odd and it comes across to the members. Nothing is consistent with the call center. THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE ACCEPTING POSITION. They will hire anybody who they think will be whipped and not speak.

Advice to Senior Management

Rethink way of doing business and compensating employees. Onsite facilities and benefits are great, but if your not happy and feel you are making a difference it's not worth it.

Pros

The 8% match of the 401k is the best thing.

Cons

Highly unethical managers and middle managers.

Advice to Senior Management

I would get rid of about half of the managers since they are incompetent.

Pros

USAA displays a great interest in corporate health and wellness for their employees. They provide great facilities at all of their locations. Recreational ventures are plentiful.

Cons

The only drawback to the USAA fitness facilities is that they are relatively small outiside of the headquaters site in San Antonio.

Advice to Senior Management

Increase the overall fitness minded culture with in the work place. You can clearly see that fitness is a focal point, however to have a truly fitness minded culture you must embrace it at all levels.

Pros

Pay and Benefits, 8% Match, Some good managers and co-workers, great training

Cons

Sales Driven, every minute of your day is accounted for and it counts towards your performance, 20 min breaks and 35 min lunch, the time you take to help customers and not make sales is counted against you, the managers become all about the #s, you can and will be fired if you arent making your sales quota

Advice to Senior Management

Care more about your employees and your customers instead of the money

Pros

- Fair Pay for the Job
- 401K Match up to 8% (vested after 2 yrs)
- Free covered parking on campus
- lots of restrooms
- Public only knows what they see from advertising, so company has a good image

Cons

- Right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing (i.e. What senior executives put out verbally and in writing, isn't practiced by the operational level of management (member contact)
- Unpleasant work environment...management rules by fear and intimidation. Employees unable to speak freely or point out problems, even if it would help the company and/or members.
- Bait and switch in hiring (if you have a member contact job, you WILL be judged on your multi-product sales performance). Other qualities such as product knowledge (i.e. insurance, investments, etc.), technical expertise, and member/customer satisfaction will all be secondary, if recognized at all)
- Low level of work ethics consistently exhibited by lower level managers and directors. Company ignores internal ethics complaints unless they think it could end up in a lawsuit and cost them $$$.
- "Millitary values" are a marketing term used by USAA. As a former military officer, I can positively attest to my direct management at USAA adhering to a MUCH lower set of values; typically at the members expense.
- Expertise, education, high work ethic, low error rate, etc. will not move you along at USAA. Talking the member into an additional sale, even if you mess up the primary requested/needed business, will. Very little opportunity to move into a better work position at USAA once you are a MSR. Lots of turnover in the MSR job, not so in the other areas of the company.
- Mangement wants you to keep your mouth shut at all times, unless you are cheerleading. No constructive criticism or attention to misinformation, etc. is allowed. Team meetings are typically like attending a Funeral...heads down, employees quiet,.
- Preschool type management, i.e. managers hand out a piece of candy if you do a good job! Silly dress up days by management, etc., while all while nothing changes for the employee. You are on the phones, period. Only the managers participate in the "fun" activities, but stupidly feel that it motivates the employees. Employees afraid to speak up.

Advice to Senior Management

Take exit interviews seriously, especially if the person is highly educated and has some valuable input. The lower level management that you have now are NOT prior military and wouldn't know what "military values" are if it bit them. Most all of them are just looking out for their own careers and don't have the courage to raise important issue that may need fixing. Just receiving "cheerleading" type input from your current set of YES men & women will not relay an accurate picture of what is going on. - If you care you can give me a call and I would be happy to discuss the REAL situation.
- I observed lower level management consistently impinge on ethics to get the results they wanted to present up their chain of comand. Mis-information, lies, etc.