Actuarial department is not very good - Actuary Wellmark Employee Review

2.0
28 Sept 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Building is nice and new, good views, great gym with free fitness classes. Clear that DEI is important to them

Cons

Actuarial management is incompetent. As an example, it was over 2 years after the SOA released the updated exam schedule for management to finally release the updated study program. It took them almost 2 years to even start reworking it and it was only after several students brought it up on multiple occasions. Several people had sat and passed new exams before the new program was released. Management has people work on the same projects repeatedly with management unable to think of new ideas. Management up to the CEO is very opaque / non-transparent about where the company is headed and what individual contributors are supposed to do. Company surveys are completed with the results never released to employees. Employees are required to be in the office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Actuarial pay is very low compared to actuarial departments in other companies. Like $20,000 lower even at the pre-ASA level. Company health benefits are shockingly bad. High cost, high deductibles, no company contribution to the HSA.

Explore other reviews about Wellmark

5.0
21 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This company lives by its mission. Truly working toward improving overall health of all Iowas and South Dakotans. Spearheading ongoing initiatives to reducing member burden, trying to fill in gaps where rural life creates access burdens, and being engaged with the community.

Cons

Slow change. Many processes created are not open to growth and evolution often being told, that’s how we set it up five years ago and it’s worked fine. Also, inclusive to an extent. There are times where if your beliefs do not align with the majority, specifically related to politics there are opportunities for improvement. As part of a diverse and value driven culture, it’s important to recognize not all beliefs are the same.

2.0
31 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

• Nice facility in the Des Moines office with a beautiful gym. • Strong mission and meaningful work that genuinely motivates many employees • Opportunities to work on complex, large-scale initiatives • Some leaders are supportive and open to collaboration

Cons

• Inconsistent people management and accountability across teams. • Repeated concerns raised by multiple employees are often minimized, which prevents issues from being addressed effectively • Limited follow-through when interpersonal or performance issues are escalated, impacting psychological safety. • SAFe has rollout faced significant challenges, and it created a lot of uncertainty. Many colleagues have expressed concerns about their job security. • Good old boys club on tech side of the house • Rigid RTO mandate has replaced flexibility with monitoring. Despite clear evidence that teams were productive remotely during COVID, time in office is now tracked and reported to execs, reinforcing optics over outcomes

3
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