TIAA reviews

3.7

65% would recommend to a friend

(4,009 total reviews)

Thasunda Brown Duckett

55% approve of CEO

54% positive business outlook

TIAA has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 4,009 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The TIAA employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Financial Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews
3.0
Jan 30, 2019

Plagued by inconsistency and trend chasing

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Generally the benefits and flexibility have been great (that seems to be going in reverse lately though, so I'd be remiss to just state that they are great). Individuals are great, there is a lot of diversity and the company truly is mission-driven. Paid volunteer hours are a great benefit that tie into the mission.

Cons

The incessant reorgs are bad for morale and momentum. I am on my sixth manager and third department in just four years. No amount of "change management" training makes up for that kind of inconsistency, at some point you have to accept that it's the change creators that are the problem - not people's hesitance to accept the change. Non-Charlotte and New York employees are not given equal opportunities for advancement. When HR tells you that you won't be considered for a role (that does not require on-site presence) because you aren't located in one of two offices (out of nearly 200 TIAA offices), you have a problem. People are having to move out rather than up. The work from home flexibility has been so important for work-life balance, however they are eliminating that benefit. Work from home is going away in favor of "collaborative" environments... when was the last time one of the people making these decisions had to sit in the middle of a cube farm and try to get work done? People literally tethered to their computers by noise-cancelling headphones isn't going to create the energetic, collaborative environment you think it is. It's going to wear people down and likely send them running. That's how you create a culture of "I work my 40 hours and then I stop caring."

3.0
Apr 22, 2018

Financial Advisor

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company has some great products at below average cost compared to its peers. Salary is above average and bonus structure is good for those that can aggressively bring in assets from competitors. The clients are some of the most fascinating to work with as they are educators and doctors. The planning process and sales techniques are highly effective when used correctly .

Cons

Lots has started to change with TIAA since 2016. There is lots of check the boxes that will need to be complete. More than half the job will be pure administrative duties. There is one focus and that is to bring in new money and ever increasing goals. If you are looking for a 40 hr job this is not for you. Expect long hours and answering emails at night and through the weekends to be successful. Its impossible to use all of your vacation as the work does not stop when you are out of the office so its double time when you return. On Oct 21 2017 the New York Times wrote an article that revealed many of the practices with its advisors. The company reacted drastically to the article and hired attorneys to pursue employees making everyone fear for their jobs. There are currently over 90 open advisor jobs which is about 15% of all the positions as advisors. Many advisors are leaving due to the pressure and changing environment. Most clients have had 3-5 advisors service them which creates a lot of dissatisfaction with clients. It also makes finding new assets to meet goals nearly impossible. Don't provide your own thoughts or feedback to management or you will be managed out. You will see this in several other reviews as its true.

4.0
Mar 23, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Products and services are easy to believe in. Mission of helping people is easy to buy into

Cons

Many of my peers who all have worked here for years have seen their person lives deteriorate over time. There are tons of resources and things that say how great of a press there is for work life balance, but resources are constantly being cut, not back filled, more pressure is placed on employees to give more. I had grown to have no life I was my own administrative assistant, sales assistant, schedule manager, and still expected to meet outstanding constantly ballooning goals with less resource.

Viewing 16 - 18 of 4,009 Reviews

Glassdoor has 4,405 TIAA reviews submitted anonymously by TIAA employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if TIAA is right for you.