Wonderful co-workers, old-school sexist culture - Senior Technical Writer BECU Employee Review

3.0
Mar 8, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits were very good. I also truly liked my co-workers, and have made some lifelong friends while working there.

Cons

Like many companies, BECU is struggling to achieve DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). I'm a white woman, and experienced ongoing gender bias from my manager. I reached out to his manager and to HR for almost 20 months, and kept hearing "we don't perceive any sexism here." They're good people who mean well, but don't have a strong understanding of what bias is, or how it manifests. I was hired as one of the replacements for four women who'd left previously. Another woman left last year. I'm the sixth. Even if leaders don't understand bias, I think they should have understood outcome (smart, experienced women leaving the team, or leaving BECU all together).

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BECU Response
5y
Thank you for your feedback and for your service to the credit union. At BECU, we believe diversity in background, perspective and thought is critical to our success and strive to foster an environment where our employees feel accepted, are treated fairly and respectfully, and can bring their whole selves to work. Any form of bias and discrimination is not tolerated and we have policies in place to prevent this type of unwanted behavior. We’re sorry to hear this wasn’t your experience and have shared your comments with HR leaders. We are also dedicated to taking an active stance in making changes at the individual, structural and broader co-op levels to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While some actions have already been taken, we understand that becoming a more equitable cooperative requires a long-term commitment, one that involves implementing more inclusive policies, practices and programs, and putting these structures at the heart of our strategic and business plans. Thank you again for sharing your comments as it helps ensure we’re providing a consistent experience across the organization.

Explore other reviews about BECU

5.0
Mar 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Self manage, managers don’t micro manage. Remote work. Great benefits. Good culture. Competitive pay.

Cons

There can be lots of changes when you’re hired.

1
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BECU Response
3mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback. It’s great to hear that you value the autonomy in your role, the trust from managers, and the flexibility of remote work. It’s also encouraging to see benefits, culture, and pay recognized as positives — those are important parts of the overall experience. We also understand your point about the pace of change, especially early on. Starting a new role can already be an adjustment, and navigating changes at the same time can add complexity. While change is often part of growth and improvement, your perspective is a helpful reminder of the importance of clear communication and support during those transitions. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.
1.0
May 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are many employees who care about the mission, values, each other, and members.

Cons

Within the Technology organization, there is growing concern regarding the consistency and transparency of hiring and promotion practices following the 2023 CTO transition. Over a relatively short period, the composition of senior leadership changed significantly, with a large percentage of new hires and promotions appearing to originate from overlapping professional networks, referral pipelines, or ethnic background. There is perception that advancement opportunities increasingly favored candidates connected to existing leadership circles, raising concerns about whether hiring standards and evaluation processes are being applied consistently across Tech. As these leadership changes cascaded through reporting structures, teams became increasingly homogeneous in background and prior affiliations. This contributed to employee concerns about reduced diversity, diminished internal mobility, and the potential for affinity bias in hiring and promotion decisions. The resulting leadership composition also became noticeably less diverse over time, which contributed to perceptions of affinity bias and employees outside the dominant leadership network can appear sidelined in promotions, influence, and career growth opportunities, contributing to a perception of favoritism and inconsistent standards. As leadership composition became noticeably less diverse, the corresponding teams become less diverse as well.

2
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BECU Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We appreciate your recognition of the many employees who remain deeply committed to our mission, values, members, and one another. Those connections are an important part of what makes the organization special. We also understand the concerns you've raised regarding hiring, promotion practices, and career growth opportunities within Technology. Perceptions of fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity can have a significant impact on trust and engagement. When employees question whether processes are being applied consistently, it’s important that those concerns are heard and thoughtfully considered. We will ensure this feedback is shared. Your advice around transparency, accountability, and independent review is noted. Building confidence in hiring and advancement processes requires ongoing attention and a commitment to ensuring employees feel opportunities are accessible, merit-based, and clearly communicated. Thank you again for sharing your perspective. Feedback like yours helps inform important conversations about culture, trust, and employee experience.
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