Alterna Savings
Alterna Savings Employee Reviews
Job Title
All
Location
Canada47 reviews
Ratings by category
Sort by
Found 47 reviews matching the search
See all 48 reviewsIndeed featured review
The most useful review selected by Indeed
Retail banking focused on member needs.
Alterna Savings is a member-facing financial institution. Even though Alterna operates in the same retail banking environment as the banks, there is less sales pressure. There is a heightened focus on member needs. My experience has been supportive and collaborative for the most part. As with any business, there is always a focus towards doing more with less which can get frustrating at times. I have met a lot of great friends here and would definitely recommend. Alterna has supported me in my personal career aspirations.
Pros
Great work/life balance
Cons
Smaller institution, so total compensation package is a bit below avg
Horrible culture
Poorly managed from the CEO and downwards. A lot of back stabbing and very little direction from directors. HR is very poorly run and any staff who are hard working are forced out of the company.
They talk a good fight but in reality care very little about members and staff alike.
Turnover is rampant for a reason. It’s hilarious that senior management has to ask staff to right positive reviews
otherwise their ratings
They talk a good fight but in reality care very little about members and staff alike.
Turnover is rampant for a reason. It’s hilarious that senior management has to ask staff to right positive reviews
otherwise their ratings
Toxic environment
- Very unorganized environment and process, with meaningless organizational chart.
- Hardest part of the job was to have a professional conversation with the head of my department and the CAMLO. Very incompetent management team. Do yourself a favor and search for a descent place - NOT this one.
- Hardest part of the job was to have a professional conversation with the head of my department and the CAMLO. Very incompetent management team. Do yourself a favor and search for a descent place - NOT this one.
Pros
Close to home
Cons
Company culture
Not the best place to work in ottawa
I worked at Alterna for about 11 months now, it’s a very demanding job with lots of hidden loopholes. At first I was hired as a Member service specialist but was asked to do many different task in other departments. Poor management which cause severe turn overs. BE AWARE!!!
Rate your recent company
Share your experience to help others
terrible
poor training. they expect you to upsell on products you arent taught about. They expect you to upsell on every call despite the fact that you often talk to the same people several times a week. the bilingual CS take so many calls it's painful and you dont get enough breaks to relax
Pros
location
Cons
long hours, short lunches. they give only the legal minimum required of everything
Some departments are good to work in but others are toxic
Toxic environment in my last dept, wouldn't recommend to work in that dept, learned a lot and able to take away a lot of transferable skills, work life balance doesn't exist in certain areas even though company prides itself on community oriented company
Micro Mangers will follow you
I wasted a few months here. During the interview, they really pumped how much they don't micro-manage and how awesome and competent the people are. After they bypassed numerous hiring steps I was in. We had a welcome lunch... Nice... One guy stood out as friendly and sociable.. the next day they fired him... Welcome to the company? Working with the shell shocked team, I had my work cut out for me... as it turns out the people on my team only have these jobs because they didn't quit... they were all incompetent, except for one, who somehow was tolerant of doing everyone else's job. Manger started to chase me around the office, when i went for a wee, coffee, help or ask for help. and stood there eavesdropping on my conversation. when he wasn't following me, he was teasing his hair or watching YouTube. I'm happy not to be there
My advice to you, keep looking. Keep looking for something better. This is not worth your time and energy
My advice to you, keep looking. Keep looking for something better. This is not worth your time and energy
Sometimes productive
Horrible place to work. Forced to make calls to their members. Pressures staff to make sales. Management, especially certain branches are all competing at being number one at all cost. I worked at branch and was constantly bullied by the manager. She would turn other staff members against you if you did not agree with her. She would lie to your face and twist everthing you said to her advantage.They play favorites. Some staff got away with everything.while some othetd were constantly being threatened or harassed .
My manager would not speak or address me to for days if she was angry at you for whatever reasone. And HR is not helpful to solving conflicts. They are never on the side of the staff. Constantly talked bad about members. Especially those you are poor.with no money to invest. And the managers all gossip against each other to the staff.
My manager would not speak or address me to for days if she was angry at you for whatever reasone. And HR is not helpful to solving conflicts. They are never on the side of the staff. Constantly talked bad about members. Especially those you are poor.with no money to invest. And the managers all gossip against each other to the staff.
Pros
Good benefits
Cons
You are expected to do activites with the staff on your days off, for instance attend birthday parties and so on. If you do mot go, my manager would say that You are not a team playet.
Great pay and wonderful benefits
Alterna prides itself in giving back to their long standing community. Our customers are not clients, but members so they feel apart of the company itself. Alterna Savings has a good pay grade and has outstanding benefits especially for those who have families.
Pros
Outstanding benefits
Cons
Longer hours
Toxic place to work
If you have a choice go somewhere else to work.
Upper management is horrible and all the directors
Are out of touch and are big bank rejects.
Hard work is not rewarded and if you try and voice your concerns you are deemed a trouble maker and black balled.
Alterna received an award from AON because the CEO use to work there, what a joke.
good luck if you accept a position here
Upper management is horrible and all the directors
Are out of touch and are big bank rejects.
Hard work is not rewarded and if you try and voice your concerns you are deemed a trouble maker and black balled.
Alterna received an award from AON because the CEO use to work there, what a joke.
good luck if you accept a position here
Pros
Ok benefits
Cons
Toxic work environment and no room for advancement
Excellent company
Good to staff, you have to be dedicated.
High Sales Target
Great Manager and coaching sessions
Convenient hours
Friendly atmosphere
Managers keep staff in the know and always have meeting to help staff attain their goals
High Sales Target
Great Manager and coaching sessions
Convenient hours
Friendly atmosphere
Managers keep staff in the know and always have meeting to help staff attain their goals
Pros
Full support from Management
Cons
Fixed Hours. Extremely high sales targets
Productive and fun workplace to work at
-Good management
-Friendly co workers
-Good place to learn and gain knowledge
-Good place to grow and open yourself up to several new positions
-Position can have stress on it but it is stress that is not too overwhelming and motivates you to do better
-Friendly co workers
-Good place to learn and gain knowledge
-Good place to grow and open yourself up to several new positions
-Position can have stress on it but it is stress that is not too overwhelming and motivates you to do better
Pros
good environment to work in
Cons
long hours on some days
NOT an ideal work environment
This company is very behind when it comes to banking. The employees and management are also not up to date with pleasant work culture or work and life balance. The contact center employees are beyond overworked since they are to deal with all customer inquiries (no transferring). The training for the contact center role is not long enough for what you are expected to know and apply on the calls. It is the most stressful customer service role, with little compensation.
Would not recommend
In my opinion and experience I would not recommend this company as senior managers often fire hardworking employees without reason. There is no alignment at the senior level, often middle level employees are going around in circles because senior management cannot agree on a project or strategy. Technology is in need of massive updating. Marketing & Product team has had 4 VP's in the last 4 years. All prior VP's have quit or have been fired.
Pros
free coffee
Cons
poor management, work/life balance, lack of balance, poor company culture
Claimed Profile