Barclays Employee Reviews
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Great Staff lead by Poor management
Mortgage Support (Former Employee) - London - 28 July 2021
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The most useful review selected by IndeedWas a great fun environment to work with an amazing office. The team where great but the management was rude, aggressive, pushy and had their favourites i.e if you went drinking with them and you go to have a smoke outside then you are very much liked and respected. This lead to discrimination toward hard working individuals who were neglected and had little or no support. Management had their heads in the clouds thinking that you can achieve ridiculously high targets, without fail, well they where correct 'if you missell' you can hit any target.I'm not going to name drop but the Barclays Wealth International Mortgage team was the worst to work for due to the poor management that was in place management between the years (2007 and 2009).
Pros
Excellent team, Buzzing environment and lots of opportunities to progress
Cons
Long hours, unachievable targets, ridiculousness management and poor leadership.
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Silo mentality and no progression
Customer Service Advisor (Former Employee) - Doxford Park, Sunderland - 2 August 2021
There is unfortunately little to no value placed on the employees and the daily valuable contributions they make to the company. Managers are constantly leaving or only given temporary roles so their teams are often left floundering for support and then berated because of stats which there is FAR too much of a focus on. During my time at Barclays, I believe I had at least 10 managers or temporary managers thanks to my permanent TL going missing or going to prison, all of which is kept quiet. You are promised progression and encouraged to volunteer your own time, as there is no emphasis on a work life balance, in order to get these opportunities. What this usually means in practise is that you have to play favourites and if the people at the top see your face often enough outside of work, you may be given the next opportunity that comes along if you're lucky. After years there and handing my notice in, it took them 3 out of 4 weeks to even acknowledge my notice and even then, there was not a thank you in sight for the work and commitment I had given them, bearing in mind I ran training sessions for new starters countless times, I was in their national advertisement campaign during the pandemic and changed my lifestyle and working hours 3 separate times to suit their needs better. Unfortunately this is little better than any other call centre work you may come across and it makes me sad to see such a great company and bank going in the direction they are, glad to get out when I did.
Pros
Pay is reasonable(ish)
Cons
Long hours, stats driven, no progression, no support. Feel like a number.
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Cool
Prime Services - Client Services Manager (AVP) (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 28 July 2021
The company is well known in the industry and that is reflected in its operations set up and high Calibre of the professionals that are employed and work there.
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Fun and good management also good team work
Mail Room Assistant (Current Employee) - 1 Churchill place - 22 July 2021
Get to learn a lot about business and got to meet some nice people and made some friends and I gained a lot of experience. I liked working there and the meetings with the clients but I did not like the location because sometimes it was hard to get to
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As a 6 month temp I loved Barclays
Barclays bank hybrid banker (Current Employee) - Lytham St. Annes - 8 July 2021
I have worked for Barclays for 6 months as a hybrid banker and loved ever bit of it I hope one day I will be able to return full time 10/10 the staff are lovely and very supportive and eager to help you learn .
Pros
Great people and support
Cons
None to speak of loved it
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Awful Management
Mortgage Consultant (Current Employee) - Wavertree - 5 July 2021
Been here in Mortgages for nearly 7 years.There's a highly Machiavellian culture amongst the management that's just so exhausting to be around. The daily micro-managing is so demoralising & suffocating, especially when your TL/manager doesn't even know how do to your job. If you dare speak up or criticise anything then your "values" will be questioned and you'll get written up... so you're basically given a thiny-veiled threat to keep silent.The stats & targets are so unrealistic for the role. You're expected to do literally everything on the call without any hold. That approach may work in easier roles that have simpler queries that are quicker to resolve but it doesn't work well in a Mortgage environment.Not only that but they constantly move the goalposts. That means you could be doing everything right but end up in trouble without even realising it. They do this because they're technically not allowed to target staff so they get around it by calling them "expectations" but without telling you what these "expectations" are! Then when you don't meet their "expectations" you're put on a Performance Improvement Plan. It's crazy! You also get timed when you go to the loo... apparently the maximum Comfort Break you're allowed is about 3-4 minutes per day (that includes getting a drink & whatever you need to do in the toilet).As for the systems they make us use... Dire! Half of the time I ger error messages so can't process anything in order to do my job properly (which inevitably affects our stats but that's our fault, apparently). Not only that but they don't give us -
Pros
None
Cons
Management
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Great benefits / pay but little to no advancement opportunities
Communications Assistant (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 4 July 2021
The pay and benefits package at Barclays is good at the different grade boundaries, however it’s SO HARD to get a promotion. I’ve worked extra hours and gone over and above, and every year there’s a new excuse not to be promoted in-role. Going for other positions the grade above is hard because if you’re up against people already that grade, they will take it that they already have the experience - so you just end up getting stuck. I don’t want to leave Barclays, but my job has become stale and I need a new challenge!
Pros
Good pay / benefits, diverse, clever colleagues
Cons
Long hours, no career advancement
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Productive and fun place
Bank Clerk/Cashier (Former Employee) - all over - 1 July 2021
Worked for this company for many years really enjoyed it seemed to be getting on really well, Management was really supportive until back in 2013 or 2014 got on with everyone until supervisor who no longer works for company found I was vulnerable and something shocking happened to me (Not allowed to divulge info) I have had a Manager who was really supportive had to move to another branch, but manager there made me feel uncomfortable eyes on me constantly and Chinese whispers. I dedicated my life to this company because I believed in them and thought things would get better for me as I am a peoples person. I left Barclays because of issues in the past and I could not forgive or forget what happened to me before I left was promised my Bonus and to this day 2021 I have not been given this I have spoke to management who has said spk to HR no joy still waiting. I believe because of previous thing (i.e. supervisor )event life was made harder for me before I left Trust no one. Otherwise lovely company
Pros
discounts for staff
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Fun whilst it lasted
This review was based solely on my time there., many moons ago. I would like to think, it has changed and managers, listen and encourage their staff.Too enthusiastic and was the scapegoat, for all new activities, when no one else wanted to participate.
Pros
Walking commute
Cons
sales targets/staff welfare
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Just a Number!
Customer Care (Current Employee) - Warwickshire - 7 June 2021
New starters are thrown in at the deep end without completing full training as staff levels are so low. No consideration for staff well-being. I was moved to a different branch and told I had no choice, even though it had a huge impact on my work life balance. Business needs come over staff all the time. Staff are being driven into the ground as call centres are now being closed and existing customer facing staff are pressured into taking inbound calls in addition to their current roles. Many managers and leaders are working from home more and staff struggle to understand what they actually do. Minimum reward for anyone in an entry level role. I have seen some brilliant temporary staff leave as they have to take a pay cut when they have been asked to join on a permanent basis. Micro managed with figures and sales targets that are sugar coated as providing a customer need. 100% who you know instead of who you are in terms of progression. Staff don't bother applying for certain roles as you can guess who is getting the role before they have interviewed people. I have worked for the company for over 10 years and never known staff moral to be so low.. Most new contracts will be Monday to Sunday 7-11, so also not a traditional 9-5 job anymore..
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Jobs at Barclays
Do not work here if you value your mental health
Personal Banker telephony (Former Employee) - United Kingdom - 30 May 2021
Barclays sell the job to you as amazing, that they care so much about their employees and that it is a very stress free environment/culture. This couldn’t be further from the truth.I lasted a year in this company, and it was the worst year of my life, making me contemplate suicide every morning before I started work. It was that bad.It was a telephony based role. Training was woeful, rather than training you about the ins and outs of the company, how to use their systems and how to deal with different queries and complaints, they instead spend weeks drilling nonsense and what should be common sense to most people into your head. There was bare minimum training on how to do the job itself, and what they don’t tell you is that you need to know pretty much everything because managers are useless and other colleagues are unwilling to help and often times refused to take over the customer from you. Training is so bad that one member of staff will do/say one thing, and another member will believe something completely different to be the correct way. The truth is, absolutely nobody knows what they are talking about.Nice customers are few and far between, and I don’t blame the customers because Barclays as a bank are shocking and unwilling to help. There was many times I could have done something to help but my manager simply refused that I take my own initiative which really is what companies should be looking for. Be prepared to be screamed at multiple times a day for something which is out of your hands, and receive absolutely no help from your managers who are clueless anyway, -
Pros
Salary and benefits
Cons
Training, managers, customers, day to day life
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Barclay's A Great Trustworthy Bank
Essential Banker (Former Employee) - Tredegar - 26 May 2021
Barclay's treat their staff and customers with the utmost respect and care. I was very proud to work for them. Wish I had a permanent role, but the person off work as long term sick returned and my employment ended. I have worked for 5 other banks but Barclay's was by far the most pleasant and fair.
Pros
Really know their customers
Cons
None
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Αψογο περιβαλλον εργασιας !!!
Netview Distribution Manager (Former Employee) - Knutsford - 21 May 2021
Καλη εταιρια σε ολα !!! Τι να πω !!! Αψογο εργασιακο περιβαλλον.Τι αλλο να πω !!!
Pros
δωρεαν γευματα πολυτελειας !!!
Cons
τιποτα !!!
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stressful and target based
Essential Banker (Former Employee) - Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - 13 May 2021
They may not say it but they are very product and target based and if you don't hit them they stay on your back a lot. the general working is fine but often very short staffed as they use more temps than full time staff. no sense of structure properly from management.
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Do not care about employees
Customer Service Associate (Former Employee) - Thornaby on Tees, North Yorkshire - 7 May 2021
Worked here for just under 3 years as a temp worker and overall the job itself was good, management is none existent when it comes to helping and when it comes to conflict they don't handle it well. Did not feel valued or cared about by the higher ups in management (ops manager or team leaders) as no incentive to achieve targets or no praise for going above and beyond apart from a pat on the back. Also to make it worse a lot of us were let go this year and last year due to there being "not enough work available" but yet they are advertising 6 month contracts on indeed, this further just proves my point that they do not care enough about their employees and yes I felt that way throughout my employment there.
Pros
Money
Cons
Everything else
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fantastic employers
Salford Quays, Premier Banker (Former Employee) - Salford - 28 April 2021
I worked at barclays for 8 years and only left due to redundancy, it was a fantastic place to work with plenty of opportunities to progress your career, caring employers, great benefits for staff.
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Stressful, not good for mental health
Telephony Personal Banker (Former Employee) - Doxford Park, Sunderland - 31 March 2021
There aren't supposed to be targets in banking anymore, and indeed they claim there are "no targets". But believe me there are lots working as a telephone personal banker at Barclays. You are still expected to promote products on every call (they call them "conversations") if you don't have enough "conversations" you are put on a Performance Improvement Plan which gives you TARGETS to have more of these "conversations". If you don't meet these plan targets, you receive a disciplinary. There are even targets on call lengths. Don't take too long at the toilet either, your time away from the phone line for such breaks, is monitored by your manager and can be flagged. You cannot even be 2 seconds late from your lunch break. Most managers have their favourites and often don't have compassion for their staff. You are there as another number to meet targets. Very stressful and detrimental to your mental health. The parking situation wasn't good either. 5+ years waiting list for a parking pass, meaning you have to find somewhere in the area to park which was sometimes difficult and often resulted in a long walk to and from the site. Very cliquey groups too.
Pros
Not a bad salary for an unskilled job
Cons
Targets, targets, targets, stress, anxiety, depression, cliquey
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Well paid and a good place to work
Personal Banker/Manager (Former Employee) - Nottingham, Nottinghamshire - 31 March 2021
It's a good company to work for as I worked there for over 32 years. The salary was very good and the atmosphere was friendly. The training was alot better than other banks that I have worked for. The staff and branches have reduced alot since I first started so I would imagine that job advancement is alot less now and so job security may not be such a long time career as when I started. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and would recommend it to others.
Pros
Good salary, good benefits and good training.
Cons
May be a bit repetitive now and not such a variety of jobs now.
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Good place of work, progression can be quite difficult
Moment Banker (Current Employee) - Herefordshire - 22 March 2021
Good place of work where the training given and people around you really make the place great. A lot of different roles, and if you enjoy anything customer facing the branch network is a good start. The learning of all the intricate details of some financial and banking processes can be daunting, but when you’re willing to learn you get paid back with what you put in.Progression can sometimes be a little linear and moving from one area of the business to another can be difficult.
Pros
Great people, good training.
Cons
Salary at certain pay grades, lack of progression depending on placement within the company.
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I was proud to work for Barclays
Bank Clerk (Former Employee) - Leiston - 17 March 2021
A long standing bank career. A varied career which I enjoyed all through my banking life. Meeting a lot of life long friends along the way. The training I was given was of a very high standard for all the roles I understood during my banking career.
Pros
Profit sharing in the early days
Cons
Becoming very sales orientated
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Stressful place to work with little to no recognition
Customer Mortgage Expert (Current Employee) - Liverpool - 13 March 2021
I worked at the call centre in Liverpool in the mortgage department as an agent. My primary role is to service existing mortgages for customers as well as help customers who are interested in applying for a mortgage with Barclays. The job itself is actually quite interesting as you talk to a wide variety of people from all walks of life however you are expected to keep up to date with an incredible amount of information. As mortgages are so highly regulated, staff have it drummed into them that if you were to give incorrect information to a customer by accident, there would be severe repercussions so there's a lot of pressure straight away. The training received, in my experience, was okay however because it was done over the December period, the existing staff were mainly on their holidays so getting experience on the phone lines was near impossible so you get thrown in at the deep end. The goal posts are constantly moved by management. Stats on your calls are constantly looked at - so how long you're on the phone, putting people on hold etc. They have unrealistic expectations as to how to handle calls which is held to different standards by different managers. Call centres based in other countries have closed down so our call traffic is through the roof but extra training is never given. Some staff, including myself, have been sent to work from home over the pandemic without being given the necessary equipment to make the job easier. I've only had a laptop and the headset - no desk, chair or second screen (which is definitely needed). If your internet provider is slow -
Pros
Friendly staff, good canteen, sick pay
Cons
Long hours, stressful, bad management, unrealistic expectations set, lack of support
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