Washington Mutual Reviews in Seattle, WA Area

Pros

Great Collegues and the kind of work you did

Cons

They sometimes go on a hiring spree and take on too many people.

Pros

Ample room for advancement across many different career directions. (Was) Secure and steady employer. Strong Benefits package offered. Ample training provided.

Cons

Weak pool of branch level management. Didn't necessarily foster 'the right way to do it', but promoted those with good sales numbers by questionable tactics. Banking gives you a little bit of the 'Office Space' type feeling.

Advice to Senior Management

Too much tinkering with commission pay. Pay consistently went down while production was similar or even increased. This seems disengenious and definitely fosters poor sales habits from producers.

Pros

Co-workers were the best and brightest
Work-Life Balance was good
Lots of innovative ideas

Cons

Middle management was the heart of the company but the first to be let go during reorgs
Upper management lost sight of what was important

Advice to Senior Management

The bottom line is not the most important aspect of running a company.

Pros

Excellent place to work if you wnat experience in Regulatory Compliance.

Cons

Rigid work life balance outlook. Few tele-workers.

Pros

Friendly and professional atmosphere. Senior management values your work.

Cons

Had too many reorgs after 2003...

Pros

One of the most humane places I have worked. The people were great.

Cons

Chaotic decision making at times added to stress.

Advice to Senior Management

Too bad the offer from Dimon and Co wasn't accepted in Spring, 09- maybe some of the jobs could have been saved.

Pros

Good culture, very nice people.

Cons

Overly process-driven; too many meetings; too many Powerpoint decks. Senior managers utterly lacking in courage to make unpopular decisions or take chances.

Advice to Senior Management

N/A

Pros

Retail store and low and mid management corporate employees were very nice, and were eager to do good work

Cons

Desparate need for new and innovative ideas from senior management and significant passive/aggressive behavior demonstrated by management trying to move up the chain of command.

Advice to Senior Management

Live an honest life, both professionally and personally

Pros

Great support to get the job done. Direct managers were awesome always felt like they were looking out for me and my team. Helped me grow personally.

Cons

Slow moving train, the bank was notorious for dragging it's feet on the latest technologies. Probably a just all the regulatory rules we had to go through to migrate.

Advice to Senior Management

Well since there is no managment left and JP Morgan chase has taken over I guess there isn't much left to give advice about.

Pros

large, easy to hide and do nothing - paid large salaries to senior techs and managers - no formal performance review process

Cons

no advancement - incredible lack of technical innovation - large company so management loved to assume a "bully" attitude toward employees, partners, vendors - complete strategy, architecture and management by "PowerPoint". never saw formal documentation

Advice to Senior Management

doesn't really matter at this point - company drove itself in to the ground and threw out the employees like garbage