Think Long and hard about joining this bank! - Universal Banker Citizens Employee Review

1.0
Feb 12, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Paid Time Off Bank Holidays Some co-workers Discount on some citizens products great if you are a home owner or looking to buy.

Cons

Everything unfortunately. Let's start with the training you are in training on and off for 4 months as soon as you get a grasp of what you are doing guess what back to training for a week and teller training was two weeks I believe. The incentive plan is a joke and in almost a year I still don't get it. I was told by my recruiter I'd make as much as I did in commission with my previous employer and that's not even close to being the case. I do believe this is why the company throws a high hourly rate at you to begin with. It's also a joke that as a new employee you make more than people who have been with the bank for years and are in the same position. This creates hostility towards you the new employee. There's also a lot of "I've been with this company 30 years" speeches that go on from people who actively steal your attempts to make a living by taking all checking accounts for themselves. If you are hired as a universal banker be prepared to live on the teller line and when you are able to do banker maybe once a week be prepared to find sales and make lots of cold calls. You have to telemarket every Monday night. Yes every Monday and if a bank holiday falls on a Monday you stay that following Tuesday. Cold calls every Monday usually last until about 7pm. You also when on banker have call times that you constantly have to make and try to gain business. During business hours calling isn't that bad but calling someone on a Monday when they are about to have supper is one of my least favorite things to do. The company is all about sales and making sales but in my honest opinion doesn't pay enough for the pressure that is being put on. Most higher ups in this company only care about the bottom line and that's it. The old school managers in this company also show favoritism towards certain employees. If lack of money in your pocket, being micro-managed constantly, and being managed by someone who has no business being a manager is your thing sign up and make a career at Citizens you'll love it!! I also think they make the incentive plan confusing so you don't realize until it's too late that you made a career mistake. Don't let the recruiters lie to you and tell you you'll be out by 5 everyday that happens maybe twice in a 5 day work week.

Explore other reviews about Citizens

5.0
Apr 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent work/life balance – Expectations are reasonable, and leadership genuinely respects personal time and flexibility, which makes it easier to sustain long‑term performance. Strong internal promotion culture – Many colleagues advance from within, and it’s clear the company invests in developing its people rather than always looking externally. Exceptional senior leadership – Senior leaders are visible, engaged, and hands‑on. They spend time in the weeds, visit branches, and actively connect with colleagues at all levels instead of operating at a distance. Collaborative, supportive colleagues – Teams work well together and there is a sense of shared purpose rather than internal competition.

Cons

Pace of change can be slower in some areas – As a large organization, certain processes and initiatives can take time to roll out or gain traction, which may be frustrating for those who prefer rapid change.

3.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pros are the benefits, the pay could be higher for all that you learn and have to go through for ten weeks. They offer tuition assistance and opportunity for upskilling and advancing in such little time and the remote flexibility is great too

Cons

Management sucks and of course they have their favorites and then they have the people they target like myself. They micromanage bad and are quick to give you an occurrence for nothing. Their systems are so slow and then they blame you for being five ten minutes late logging in. They want you to tell them when you get up to breathe, go to the bathroom and they push for you to take calls and know boatloads of info after on 3 weeks of training. What they don’t know is that I will sue for any wrong doings or discrimination and I keep records of everything

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