Stressful and difficult environment - Anonymous employee Santander Employee Review

1.0
29 Aug 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Coworkers for the most part really help each other out, although it is fairly cliquey. Enjoyed being in the downtown environment. The new CTO seems like he is sharp and can potentially pull IT out of the negative tailspin if he spends real time with the people who are actually doing development, testing, monitoring, etc.

Cons

so many .... with such low morale, and a couple of layoffs, there are very few people there that have any real historical system knowledge, and the subject matter experts are, with a couple of exceptions, people who have only been around a short while and have to support too many systems. For as long as I worked there, it was a blame others environment. Instead of feeling supported and defended, I always felt like I better not make a mistake because I would be made to remember it forever. Probably the worst thing that was going on when I resigned was that the middle management was trying to shield the new upper management from the realities of what was going on with their people. I have never seen such bad morale, and most of that in my opinion is due to middle management. The ones I knew do not seem to care if they make false promises, and make no secret of who their favorites are, and if you aren't in their special group, you won't be made to feel like you should not be in the room, but definitely not especially welcome. also, the pay is pretty low and commutes are rough unless you are right on the light rail or close to down town.

Explore other reviews about Santander

5.0
5 Mar 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Bonus based on performance. The company always put on events for the employees. Great work environment

Cons

Work long days. And sometimes weekends. Not much room for growth

4.0
4 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Of all the companies I have worked for, Santander has had the strongest training program. The training was comprehensive, well-structured, and especially valuable for employees who are new to the banking industry. Additionally, Santander's ONE software is by far the most intuitive and user friendly banking platform I have used, making it easy to learn and navigate while supporting efficient daily operations.

Cons

Like most retail banking roles, there is a strong sales component. With fewer customers visiting branches due to online banking and ATMs, much of the day is spent making outbound calls to existing clients, trying to set appointments, and push products and services. While I understand the importance of sales in the industry, I personally felt there was significant pressure to prioritize sales goals over relationship building and client service, which I was not comfortable with.

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