Overall satisfied employee, cautiously optimistic.
Pros
Overall the benefits and compensation at Fidelity are excellent, and they are the main reason I joined the organization. The 401k matching is unbelievable, and the health insurance is outstanding (although the employee contribution is rising significantly in 2009). There is also a real sense of comradery within departments and my coworkers are some of the smartest and professional people that I have ever worked with. I think Fidelity does a great job at trying to have a good work/life balance, giving employees flexible work options and offering plenty of time off. I think there is also plenty of opportunity to succeed and grow at Fidelity, but you must perceiver throughout times of great change and recognize the potential.
Cons
As with any large institution, you tend to get lost with the amount of people and how huge the organizational chart is. I also feel, that at least in my company (FTG, FISC, Infrastructure, whatever it is called this month) there is a disconnect between Management (directors and above) and non management. In my last company I felt like the organization was more of a family, and here I feel like I can not approach management because I am below them, very close door policy. Obviously 2008 was a challenging year, and the financial services industry as a whole has been a challenge, its sometimes hard to see past the turmoil when your job itself is unknown. Finally I think theres a lot of employees who are “lifers”, people who glide by just doing the minimum and not adding real progressive value.