Oblivious senior management creates atmosphere of just do enough to not get fired - Anonymous employee UBS Employee Review

2.0
7 Oct 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people in middle management and lower are the sole reason pleasure working at UBS.

Cons

Raises do not exist below MD level; executive management is clueless and they prefer it that way; senior management very weak and pass blame down the ladder, so when time for layoffs come you know who gets hit; PaineWebber leftovers long for the days of Joe Grano and the like. The Swiss are not ideal to work for in the US. They love to tout their values and integrity, but the same small group of kook-aid drinkers are the only ones to get anywhere, don't see much integrity there. Management insists on using performance evaluations that have been cast aside by every major company, including GE who started it. Doesn't matter how good you perform, someone has to get the bad grade if too many already have high marks.

Explore other reviews about UBS

5.0
4 July 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

One of the biggest pros is brand value and global credibility. UBS is a top-tier global wealth management and investment bank, so having it on your resume immediately signals experience in a highly structured, regulated, and performance-driven environment. That tends to carry weight across financial services and corporate TA roles. Another major advantage is strong learning exposure. Because UBS operates across wealth management, investment banking, asset management, and corporate functions, employees usually get exposure to complex stakeholder groups, senior leadership, and high-volume, high-stakes hiring environments. For recruiting roles specifically, that often means experience with executive searches, niche skill sets, and global requisitions.

Cons

other factor is workload during restructuring cycles or market downturns. Financial services recruiting is highly market-sensitive, so hiring freezes or sudden ramps are common. That can create uncertainty or shifting priorities in requisition ownership and pipeline planning. From a career perspective, role specialization can sometimes feel narrow. While UBS is large, some employees find they become highly specialized in one function (like wealth management or a specific region), which may require intentional effort to broaden experience.

3.0
5 July 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits, easy managers and hybrid working

Cons

Ongoing merger, layoffs and restructing

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