Pros
I can only speak for the department I'm currently working in (and about to leave), but Key as a whole is an up and coming bank. They will likely achieve their goal and become the largest regional bank in the U.S...maybe. If you're looking for an opportunity and you want to grow your financial service career, Key is not a bad place. However, there are a lot of issues with the department I was brought into, and I'll summarize below.
Cons
-Possibly the most toxic work environment I've ever been a part of -Work/life balance is not a concept Key is familiar with, nor do they really care if it's something you're trying to achieve -If you're a salaried employee, they will work you to the bone and will not care if you're burning out. They just don't. I would NOT take a salaried position with this bank unless they're paying you six figures up front. -HR misled me on my bonus eligibility -The Key culture is very difficult to navigate. The individuals at the Cleveland HQ make no qualms about the fact that they look down on their Buffalo counterparts. It's ridiculous, especially when you consider that - based on my experience - those in Buffalo I worked with were miles ahead of my Cleveland counterparts in terms of performance and productivity. -The training for my position was non-existent and I was "thrown to the wolves" very early on -If you have questions, no one will answer them. Finding help/procedures/ANY kind of information from your department ABOUT your department is almost impossible -Key's systems are from the stone age, and if they don't get up to speed on technology they will never be the biggest U.S. regional bank. There's so much manual processes that it's enough to make you go crazy -Very, very stressful atmosphere -My manager did not provide me any feedback, and actually got defensive when I asked for what his expectations were of me in my role (but he very early on talked about possible "disciplinary action") - very confusing -You will probably never know how you're performing, and that's a feature of the bank's management, not a bug -Medical is a joke -401k vesting only takes place after 4 years. If you're at this bank for 4 years you deserve stock options, not just 401k vesting. -Favoritism. Favoritism everywhere. -Just not a fit for me culturally. Like I said - I believe that other departments at Key are probably great, and I wish I could have stayed on longer to build my career there, but when it all added up the situation became untenable for me. Be very, very careful before you accept an offer there. Ask as many questions as possible during your interviews.
