Pros
Brand prestige opens doors externally — the HSBC name carries weight on your CV, especially across Asia Benefits package is genuinely good: healthcare, annual leave, and the employee share plan are hard to beat at this level Colleagues are generally pleasant and non-toxic; the culture is collaborative rather than cutthroat Hybrid work arrangement is flexible compared to other banks I've worked at
Cons
Pay is noticeably below market peers like JPMorgan or Citi for the same role and seniority Career progression is glacially slow — I've seen people stuck at the same grade for 4+ years with no clear path upward Legacy systems are a constant headache; half your day is fighting outdated tech Middle management layer can be heavily bureaucratic; decisions take forever to get approved