Silicon Valley Bank Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Silicon Valley Bank

Pros – very goood compensation; opportuntiy to learn a lot

Cons – hard to get in;long interview process

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Definitely earns its reputation for being a great place to work: supportive /team-focused culture, excellent benefits, surprisingly philanthropic, and a v.low "douche bag" quotient. Plus, dominates the tech / life science banking sector which seems to grow thru every economic downturn

Cons – The downside to a great culture is that nobody ever leaves. Its amazing how many people have been at the bank 10, 15, 20 years! This had led to a disappointing concentration of "B" players at the middle ranks of the company, which seriously limits the ability of the more promising people to be promoted.

Advice to Senior Management – Don't be afraid to fire a few people. A few bad apples really will spoil the lot.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank as a contractor

Pros – Amazing senior management. Fun, edgy company. Small enough for your accomplishments to be noticed and appreciated. Gives back to the community.

Cons – Headquarters has a stiff environment.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Silicon Valley Bank

Pros – Smart, dedicated employees who are really committed to offering cutting edge banking services to clients. Accountability is an important value.

Cons – The things that work well, they constantly tinker with--many times to their detriment. Management doesn't really listen to those who don't fully drink the Kool-Aid.

Advice to Senior Management – Stop spending so much on internal conferences, and hand out a decent bonus every now and then.

– I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Great opportunities to learn your job

Cons – not much movement or promotions

Advice to Senior Management – support those who are successful in their work

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Silicon Valley Bank as an intern for less than a year

Pros – Everyone is very friendly and willing to help.

Cons – Internship program is not very structured

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Silicon Valley Bank full-time for more than a year

Pros – Know their market. Quick to act.

Cons – Very conservative and very political.

Advice to Senior Management – Promote based on merit...not tenure.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank full-time

Pros – Great ideas...Executives are very savvy.

Cons – Middle management is lousy and thus is constant churn in many areas

Advice to Senior Management – Be truly transparent...Fix the middle management issues. Good employees are leaving

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – Excellent competitive salaries, benefits. Clients LOVE this company; good on resume. The Infrastructure, the troops, are what make this company. At exec level, extremely innovative and want to stay ahead of the curve in the market; highly driven. Sales teams and client facing service delivery teams rock, and are the cornerstone of what makes this company vital. Sales leadership is very strong.

Cons – Very poor management and leadership skills below exec level, and a few newer ones at C-level are failing as well. No one is cultivating the incredible talent at all levels; there is no scouting of the rich pool of talent within the bank that needs mentoring and elevating. "home grown" is falling away. Career paths in finance are nil. Finance, IT, Ops and HR have some critical negative political black holes that need removing. Huge amount of confusion which fuels politics, leads to nonproductivity; the company is losing its edge and good people will, and are, leaving.

Advice to Senior Management – Company is transitioning with new CEO who although is an excellent business man (and long time svber) still needs to define his leadership and better clarify his company's strategy/mission down through the troops; should engage with employees to get tough - weed out the politics and the 'good ol boy' environment; some of it is in his own backyard.

Current Employee – been working at Silicon Valley Bank as an intern for less than a year

Pros – Awesome culture and people. Everyone is an expert in their field and will gladly help each other and explain themselves thoroughly.

Cons – Internship program does not funnel into a full-time job based on performance necessarily. You need to go through the application process.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company