Unitrin Reviews

Pros

*Management seems to be well in control of what is going on and how to run the company. Salaries are respectable.
*The ability to learn and grow under the right leadership.

Cons

*Mundane.
*Raises have been cut but keep up with normal inflation.
*All functional areas of the company have very different, clique-like working styles and can cause conflict.

Advice to Senior Management

You don't need to yell to accomplish something, you don't need to be petty, you don't need hold frustration in for a couple weeks and then let it out because you have personal problems... We all have personal issues. Just be honest, open and willing to share knowledge. Trust and respect will follow.

Pros

great work-life balance; opportunities for travel

Cons

unfairness in promotion; not much advancement

Pros

great benefits are the only thing that redeems this job. there really are no other pros at all. run away fast!

Cons

dangerous neighborhoods, a lot of out of pocket expense on the agents. near impossible sales goals and agents are penalized for things that are well beyond the scope of their control. management is inconsistent and often lies. and the pay is only a fraction of what other companies pay. hours were literally 24/7. i was "on call" all the time, and actually worked in the field a minimum of 10 hours a day. the neighborhoods i serviced were dangerous and i was robbed twice.when i deducted the mileage and out of pocket expenses from my pay (even when my pay was pretty decent) i was still bringing home well below minimum wage.

Advice to Senior Management

a complete restructuring of your pay scale and business model is the only way to save this dying company.

Pros

good pay for work but tough place to get ahead. i like that i can help determine my own salary by working extra hard.

Cons

they really do not communicate very well with the employees. the company only cares about the bottom line and not at all about the people that work here.

Advice to Senior Management

it sure would be helpful if senior management was more forthcoming with the average joe on the ground. it would be nice to hear more from them.

Pros

Overall,the people are very nice.

Cons

Micromanagement! In addition, there is clearly no opportunity for career advancement/growth.

Advice to Senior Management

It's so important to let the employees know what direction the company is going.

Pros

- The people are great!
- The expectation given to employees are very reasonable.
- Lots of change and building new things!

Cons

- Change sometimes means layoffs. :-(
- Some of the changes could be communicated better.

Advice to Senior Management

Value your employees and show it by taking the time to listen!

Pros

Unitrin is supportive of a work life balance
Unitrin has a good benefits
Unitrin is a very stable company
Unitrin is growing alot

Cons

Career advancement is difficult if you are not one of the gang
Management will pigeon hole you and attempt to keep you in that role forever

Advice to Senior Management

Reward star performers and try to get some of the lazy people motivated. If you can not get them motivated get rid of them.

Pros

flexible with schedule and great income. I can make my own schedule, my own calendar, I have unlimited income potential. The leadership is very friendly, approachable, and will listen to what we have to say.

Cons

not a lot of room for advancement. I am much more successful than anyone else in the company and yet others are being promoted when they whine and complain.... If you want to be really successful with Unitrin, you have to put 100% into the company and you really have no time off. I give every single day of the year to the company and have seen success because of that.

Advice to Senior Management

promote based on results. Look at the actual results, the progress made, the promises kept, and whoever is actually achieving what you ask for - you need to promote that person to upper executive management.

Pros

No one breathing down your neck about your time. It's nice to be able to schedule your time as needed. Allows for time with family more often than some jobs.

Cons

LOW pay. No feedback or help to employees when needed. Home office is awful. When changes are made that affect the agents pay, nothing is done by the company to help them out. Pay contract is not in the best interest of the agent. Appears to be just as bad for Staff Managers as well.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide for your employees when you make changes that affect them.

Pros

Compensation and benefits were very good. There are many opportunities for bonus and overtime.

Cons

Lack of leadership from management. Revolving door of management. Failure to promote from qualified candidates within Unitrin Direct Vista office to management positions. Favoritism from managers toward certain employees, including pill-popping Supervisors.
While bonus was attainable if you worked for it, the goal was changed several times a year. At one point the company changed bonus structure to a goal no one could reach, therefore no one made bonus. Company realized this was a problem and changed goal again, but not retroactively. ie Company admitted goal was unattainable, and screwed everybody out of bonus.

Advice to Senior Management

Appreciate your rank and file employees, who deal with your customers and represent your business! Drug test everyone, including your management.