Stable, But Bureaucratic - Anonymous employee RBC Employee Review

3.0
26 Sept 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

RBC is a large company, with all of the attendant advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, there is a clear organizational structure, there are decent employee benefits, and the employees are generally a lovely and genuinely diverse group of people. Salaries for low level employees (PL 12-9) and very high level employees (PL 1-5) are generous. There are also generous provisions for sick days and religious holidays. Due to its size and reach, for many employees, but not all (it depends on the business unit, your level, and your skillset), there are a good number of opportunities to make a lateral move to other areas and business groups. Good work life balance in many (most?) business units. Its like working for private sector government. A lot of business units are also quite good about flex hours. Employees commuting in from other cities are allowed to come and leave earlier.

Cons

The negatives are as follows: 1) RBC is highly bureaucratic (making it difficult to get a quick decision made on anything that has not been explicitly anticipated, and very difficult to get an exception to policy made). 2) Salaries are on the low side for mid-level employees (PL 9-6) compared to other institutions (both larger and smaller). 3) A lot of policies affecting people who actually do work are made by people who have very little idea of what that work actually involves. 4) Depending on the business unit, they can be slow to hire people, and leave people overworked for periods of time. 5) Mid and upper level management are very driven by short term results, as many of them hope not to stay in their position or at RBC for very long, and often make decisions to make themselves look good in the short-term (like not hiring people, or hiring under qualified people, so that team/business unit expenses are kept down), as opposed to what is in the best long term interests of the company. 6) Raises are weak, and often do not even keep up with inflation. Negotiate your salary when you are hired and do not assume it will go up over time! 7) Employees are seen as machines. 8) Senior management is badly out of touch (or they simply do not care, which may be more likely).

Explore other reviews about RBC

5.0
4 July 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Nice people - Great financial performance, and a global leader - Competitive salaries

Cons

- 4 days in office, 1 day WFH Can't think of anything else.

3.0
18 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Stable work life balance. The culture is really great, very easy to work with complex management and managers. Willing to help you grow and learn with clients

Cons

Not a lot of room for growth unless you come in the door with that expectation. It can be very easy to get stuck in this role as your pay slowly increases and the job title mostly stays the same. Associate promotions and raises are rarely given and take a lot of coercion to get.

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