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    PENFED Credit Union Reviews

    Updated August 14, 2017
    175 reviews

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    Full-timePart-time
    2.4
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    PENFED Credit Union President & CEO James Schenck
    James Schenck
    95 Ratings

    175 Employee Reviews

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    Pros
    Cons

    • Work life balance is not promoted (in 8 reviews)

    • Upper management constantly makes changes that do not improve processes (in 7 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons
    1. Featured Review

      Helpful (9)

      "Positive change"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Truly collaborative teams working together to improve the company and move it forward. Lots of work to be done so can be exciting challenge to be a part of a growing organization. Amazing brand with an honorable mission. Establishing processes and standards not in existence before.

      Cons

      Challenging environment sometimes. Some departments taking longer than others to accept change and make changes which leaves some disgruntled. Management can be disconnected due to poor communication. Sense of moving too fast without proper infrastructure. Old ways of doing things clash with new ways of doing things.

      Advice to Management

      Communicate more effectively to ensure everyone is on board. Mission is great - engaged employees will get us to achieve our goals. Encourage retirements for long time employees who need to pass the torch to others.

    2. Helpful (22)

      "I used to love this place."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      The people (interoffice) can be wonderful. The benefits are good.

      Cons

      WTF is even going on around here lately. Tammy Darvish has wrecked this place. She needs to go. Like, yesterday. She makes poor decisions and does not care about people. Paying the MSRs the big bucks while the rest of us work our butts off for no recognition or financial incentive. It's incredibly disheartening.

      Advice to Management

      Get it together. Go back to the way it used to be. Promote from within. Appreciate your people. Not just MSRs. We all had to be one, we moved on.

      3. Join the PENFED Credit Union team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. Helpful (15)

      "It could be good again"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Decent benefits including tuition assistance. Liberal personal leave including 10 days for national holidays that can be taken when you prefer instead of when everyone else has to go.

      Cons

      We seem to have lost vision and purpose. It is not all about the numbers, but also about doing the right thing for our employees and members. Growth for growths sake is not healthy. Merge with other credit unions to benefit the membership and growth will occur naturally. We can never be the size of Navy Federal but we can go back to providing better service.

      Advice to Management

      I never thought I would say it, but I miss Frank Pollack. You knew where you stood and had a really good idea where you were headed with him. I now have fears that PenFed will be around for the next 5-10 years unless something really changes soon.

    4. "VP"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Vice President in Tyson's Corner, Fairfax, VA
      Current Employee - Vice President in Tyson's Corner, Fairfax, VA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      I've been at PenFed almost 2 years now and have enjoyed working for a company that has clear goals and plans for the future. It's a very challenging and focus group of executives and employees. Hardly day goes by that I do not hear praise for a job well done for an employee. It's Great to work here but even better to be a Customer.

      Cons

      Management has struggled a little with change to move company away from executive decisions all the time and count more of middle management to do their jobs.

      Advice to Management

      Management keep moving us forward!

    5. Helpful (1)

      "It's not for everyone, but it IS a good place to work!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - IT Manager
      Current Employee - IT Manager
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      The potential for growth of the company is amazing, and there is so much work to be done - which is a strong positive for me.

      Cons

      Leadership can be toothless, but if you do your job well - you are well compensated. Like all IT departments, there are many who don't pull their weight.

      Advice to Management

      Probably that the few new directors need to come down from their cloud and pay attention to what's under their noses. Too much oblivious leadership in the middle-management tier.

    6. Helpful (1)

      "Great Company"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      Pros

      Friendly employees, incredibly helpful, constant room for upwards growth

      Cons

      Don't have the same type of capital as the big banking industry

    7. Helpful (1)

      "Very employee-centric"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Accounting Analyst in Augusta, GA
      Current Employee - Accounting Analyst in Augusta, GA
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      This company is all about taking care of the employees. Good benefits, lots of vacation time, managers are fantastic, lots of diversity, and my position had a work from home option whenever necessary.

      Cons

      The training hasn't been fantastic. The initial training gave a quick overview, but there wasn't much in-depth training. My manager is in another state. He has no problem with me calling whenever I have questions, but more face-to-face training would have been great.
      Also, because this company is so large, all of my coworkers have problems with not knowing who to contact for help.

      Advice to Management

      Better training. Create a contact list of which departments handle specific issues.

    8. Helpful (12)

      "Don't join unless..."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Tysons Corner, VA
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Tysons Corner, VA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      There were plenty and still few departments running great, thanks to capable and smart leaders!!

      Cons

      Long hours with unrealistic expectations and chaotic environment, mostly old trash technology or processes, egos, no flexibility, no work life balance, pretty ordinary salary, no career growth, no tution reimbursements, no maternity leave, biased management who favors and promotes long hours than smart working, and more than that, fully unresponsive HR!!!

      Advice to Management

      Handful of people can ruin the whole organization and its awesome business, Have independent investigation before its too late! Please bring back the fair and respectful environment.

    9. Helpful (8)

      "Look Elsewhere!!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Worker in Alexandria, VA
      Current Employee - Worker in Alexandria, VA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at PENFED Credit Union full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Renovated office. The "worker-bees" are great people.

      Cons

      If you can find other options take it! It's not what they sell you during the interview. The tenured staff are leaving quickly. New management is distant. Their fall will be hard!!

      Advice to Management

      WAKE UP! People are leaving for a reason

    10. Helpful (12)

      "Could be better, could be worse"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Analyst/Therapist
      Former Employee - Analyst/Therapist
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at PENFED Credit Union full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Coworkers are great people, and it can be a fun time if you're willing to roll with some punches
      Not a bad place to get your feet wet in the industry, if that's your thing
      Probably a pretty cool place to work for executives, if you're into fancy buildings
      Free not-terrible coffee, some free snacks
      Not great to take away perks (remote work, building access through doors more convenient to parking) without giving anything back more substantial than, literally, peanuts

      Cons

      General sense of fatalism and defeatism among middle management, brought about by numerous confounding upper management decisions, seasoned with upper management's general lack of composure and tact in response to any sort of setback
      A borderline sociopathic obsession with audits. Audits are important, but should not drive day-to-day activities to the extent that they do
      Most non-lifers I knew have already left or are looking to leave
      Not a great place to work if you're looking for promotion opportunities or career advancement

      Advice to Management

      Either stop calling yourself a destination employer, or actually act like one
      Stop basing your pay bands on free web sites

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