Pros
Base compensation competitive, but they are not clear on communicating targets to achieve bonus. Even when the bonus payouts are calculated, it's a secretive process with much fluctuation. Directors or managers are rushed to put in dollar amounts, but these ultimately get adjusted by the most senior leadership. For 2012 bonuses, employees were told that the decreased bonus distribution (ranged from 25% to 50% of what we were to get) was tied to Aetna stock price. Then when Aetna achieved the market stock price, employees were told that there was an "internal" number/goal and we "fell short of that." This logic not was communicated when we set individual or team targets at the beginning of the year. So, even now at the end of the first quarter employees are not clear on what it will take to earn a bonus in 2013. However, it's very clear the company found 5 billion dollars to acquire another company and the CEO and his top tier received full bonuses. This has deeply impacted morale at the company.
Cons
lack of consistency across product lines. Riding on the coat tails and eputation built on commercial business, and trying to carry that momentum to government sector. There is not strong leadership over government programs, and the company allowed lower level leaders construct RFP's and contracts that are going to be costly. It seems the company will do anything to expand it's government sector, but at great cost to quality. The training is nearly all virtual, and the IT support for the software, especially for clinical segment, is weak. The vision you get of Aetna for commercial products is the not the vision you see for Medicare and Medicaid product lines. Aetna seems to be trying to acquire that, but the company they have acquired (Coventry) is not that strong itself.