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First Niagara Financial

Is this your company?

Good company but trying to grow too fast - Branch Manager First Niagara Financial Employee Review

3.0
3 Sept 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people you work with and for want you to succeed. They have assembled a team of people from a ton of great organizations and they are attempting to build a new leader in banking. They put lots of focus around organizational development, engagement, and transparency. I am a top performer and I get constant regonition for my production and leadership.

Cons

The problems are around the fast expansion of the company. They had four purchases within four years and went from a savings thrift bank to a top 25 within that time. As a result, everything is constantly changing and no one can keep up. The communication is terrible and the incentive program does not reward. Although you get recognitinon, if money is a concern this is not the place to be. Due to all the purchases the budget is tight and they don't pay for performance. It often feels like the people at the top want to be running a large bank so badly that they don't care how their employees are affected and how much they have to deal with from the public.Lastly, there is little room for advancement since the company is still generally small and doesn't have a range of available positions.

Explore other reviews about First Niagara Financial

5.0
18 Dec 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

east to express ideas, good leadership

Cons

none that I could think of

3.0
21 Mar 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible work schedule, and pretty good health benefits. Currently have been investing in better technology making it easier for employees to perform their job functions. Solid 9-5 type job with stability. Salary increases yearly (as long as the company performs well -- this year some pay grades were ineligible for the cost of living increase)

Cons

Company culture is focused solely on the Bank and the Bank's goals, making other departments/subsidiaries feel like unwanted, unrecognized and unimportant. Hiring process is slow and there is a disconnect between the many offices. The have created a clear career-path for those working in insurance, however, the upward mobility seems to be extremely slow and limited due to not investing in talent at the lower levels to be able to promote within. I have seen a lot of positions be filled with outside talent instead of organically promoting talent, which becomes discouraging to those in the lower level positions. There also seems to be the 'are we going to be bought out?' question forever lingering in the back of peoples minds. Feels like the companies reputation in the marketplace is not favorable.

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