Growing-up is hard to do. - Human Resources Santander Employee Review

3.0
Nov 21, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have a saying, "There is opportunity in chaos". Well, there is a lot of opportunity if you have the mental toughness and maturity to deal with change and ambiguity. Things have improved over the last 6 months no that they have a CEO who understands the American banking industry, but that is going to take some time for it to trickle down into the entire organization, especially to the customer facing support areas.

Cons

1) A lot of Ex-pats were brought on after the acquisition that did not understand American banking. That appears to be changing. 2) Whose bright idea was it anyway to go from a regional thrift to a national bank with what appears to be no consideration or analysis that the current structure could support it.? Was that decision made in Madrid? Not a very bright idea. 3) Mid tier leadership is weak. There is not leadership development and as such there are people in mid tier roles that should not be there. 4) A lot of CYA/Just-in-case busy work that prevents real work from being done. 5) Antiquated infrastructure and technology along with no internal customer service culture or mentality. When there is not enough network bandwidth to support the everyday work, you have a major problem on your hands. That is not helped by an IT support desk that has lengthy SLAs. 6) Senior management says that they want people to be empowered, but that is just not the case. There is a lack of trust between management and the employees. That is not helped by a compensation strategy that does not attract the best and brightest.

Explore other reviews about Santander

5.0
Mar 5, 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
Jun 4, 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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