How do employees rate first direct?

Employees rate first direct 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 378 anonymous reviews on Glassdoor.

How can I get a job at first direct?

To get a job at first direct, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. Once you get a positive response, make sure to find out about the interview process at first direct and prepare for tough questions.

Do people recommend working at first direct?

Overall, 72% of employees would recommend working at first direct to a friend. This is based on 378 anonymously submitted reviews on Glassdoor.

How do job seekers rate their interview experience at first direct?

62% of job seekers rate their interview experience at first direct as positive. Candidates give an average difficulty score of 3 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) for their job interview at first direct.

How do employees rate the business outlook for first direct?

67% of employees think that first direct has a positive business outlook . This is based on anonymous employee reviews submitted on Glassdoor.

Working at first direct

first direct Snapshot

3.8

based on 378 ratings

72% would recommend to a friend

Chris Pitt

81% approve of CEO

3 OfficesLocations

Description first direct was the first telephone bank when it launched on 1 October 1989. Operating 24/7/365 - it has not closed its doors since. The bank also provides internet banking and text message banking.

Despite having no branches first direct is well known for pioneering amazing service, winning several awards including; Moneywise Awards 2010, Most Trusted Financial Provider; Satmetrix Customer Loyalty Awards 2010; Which? Money Awards 2010, Best Financial Provider.

The direct bank provides a range of award winning products including its 1st Account and repayment and offset mortgages. In 2009 alone first direct's mortgages appeared in the Best Buy tables 1347 times, second only to its parent company HSBC.

Life at first direct

Company updates

first direct

9mo

We're adding to our trophy cabinet! Last night, we brought home the Best Company Culture 1000+ Award at the UK Employee Experience Awards 2025, along with a silver for Best Employee Engagement. We’re so proud of this achievement, and we're just as proud of our amazing people for making winning awards like this possible....Show more

We're adding to our trophy cabinet! Last night, we brought home the Best Company Culture 1000+ Award at the UK Employee Experience Awards 2025, along with a silver for Best Employee Engagement. We’re so proud of this achievement, and we're just as proud of our amazing people for making winning awards like this possible.

0

first direct

10mo

We've scored a hat-trick! Best Bank Mortgage Provider and Best Remortgage Provider for the third year running at the 2025 Moneyfacts Awards. Winning awards like this wouldn't be possible without the hard work and dedication from everyone in our Mortgages teams. Thanks for being awesome....Show more

We've scored a hat-trick! Best Bank Mortgage Provider and Best Remortgage Provider for the third year running at the 2025 Moneyfacts Awards. Winning awards like this wouldn't be possible without the hard work and dedication from everyone in our Mortgages teams. Thanks for being awesome.

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Photos

first direct photo of: UK Company Culture Awards 2025

Employee reviews at first direct

first direct has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 378 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The first direct employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Finance industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity and inclusion

4.0

Compensation and benefits

3.9

Culture and values

3.6

Career opportunities

3.5

Work/Life balance

3.5

Senior management

Employee reviews

Anonymous employeeCurrent employee

3.0

Doesn’t pay well enough to be worth it with all the changes coming in

first direct

first direct Snapshot