Pros
I won't mention the business unit, but I am a current U.S. employee. Benefits are average for a gargantuan entity; promotions are for the favored (like so many other companies); personal growth has been good, but not something necessarily attributable to this particular firm; plenty of vacation time...6 weeks + 10 holidays; work from home is embraced by corporate and loathed by much of management; performance reviews are provided but are worthless with personnel rankings predetermined by management; there are annual bonuses even for the lowly but range wildly within/across teams depending on budget and personalities; senior management changes and direction spin like a roulette wheel which provides ample opportunity for do overs; opportunity for travel exists as well as meeting interesting people; salaries are excellent compared to the general population and middling compared to other financial services firms. Yes, these are the pros compared to the cons.
Cons
Let me just state that the DPA of 2012 wasn't surprising given the far flung, year after year shenanigans at the bank; the feds velvet hammer triggered an internal shotgun response where a scalpel was/is needed. In the past my response to 'where do you work?' was met with 'what's that?' Later some would say 'oh I had my mortgage with HSBC' (not happily I should add)....now, I respond by just saying 'computers' and leave it at that. I can not hear the word 'mistake' again without screaming. Oh the shame. Btw, because I am employed in the U.S. (I won't relocate to to snows of Buffalo) I expect my position to be eliminated as the further building of 'low cost' engagements elsewhere further the institutional rot.