Keep looking - Anonymous Simmons Bank Employee Review

Short answer: low pay for your level of expertise, benefits (especially health), training is zilch, constant changes in processes creates inconsistency. Specifics: They needed to actually train me before loading me down with work. I was new to the company and learning a new line of business which I was excited about. Turned out I was a warm body filling a desperate need for a hole. We were told we would be trained, yet we were learning one product for a short time before being pulled into something else in full production without being given proper training to do it, which created a liability. The supervisor claimed he had expertise but what he considered expertise and was actual expertise were two different things. Turnover was unreal. It seemed most were new, not only my department. The longest someone worked in my area was 15 months before he left. The next person was 10 months before he left. We were told we would rarely work OT, but pulled long hours every week and even weekends without being paid OT as we were salaried. Although it wasn’t directly stated they expected us to work OT or weekends, it was heavily implied, and well-meaning employees were taken advantage of. I recently heard they’re reevaluating salaries and will give raises. How many raises will they have to give to get over the new $47K threshold that will go into place later this year so they can continue to avoid paying OT? The bank has acquired a number of small banks in the recent past in KS, TN, and OK, and a lot of people left as a result, creating work overloads for everyone. It was not disclosed we were building a new department because of people leaving. They also often said they did not want us telling others in the company we were new, as it would "make us look like we don't know what we're doing" yet I really think that was to keep others in the dark about high turnover rates in our area. People in other areas weren't afraid to tell us they were new and asked us for guidance. While we don't want to give people concern about competency, we can also tell demanding people who are in a time crunch that we're still learning and need assistance in giving them what they're asking for in a timely manner. I made my decision to exit when I had told someone who was pushy and asked “why can't I get this assignment now” that I was too swamped with work that I had yet to be trained on to get it to him quickly. My family is more important and they need my attention, and as I was getting home later and later frustrated I found a new job. I'm an exceptionally hard worker and enjoyed what I was doing but at this stage of my life I can't work long hours and would not have taken the job if it had been disclosed that was the case. I’m no longer at the age where I can afford to be taken advantage of by a company that has a cleverly decorated strategy to cut costs. Other jobs exist.