Western Financial Group
Western Financial Group Employee Reviews
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Commercial Sales
Commercial Sales Representative (Former Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 2 February 2018
Young atmosphere, paid training, and good place to learn insurance very quick.
Unrealistic sales targets, very low base salary which doesn’t increase even after years of service. Very very high turnover which makes this a toxic work environment as there are constantly people leaving, and even customers notice that different people are calling them every year.
Good to learn insurance but not somewhere to spend a career as there is no opportunity for advancement.
Unrealistic sales targets, very low base salary which doesn’t increase even after years of service. Very very high turnover which makes this a toxic work environment as there are constantly people leaving, and even customers notice that different people are calling them every year.
Good to learn insurance but not somewhere to spend a career as there is no opportunity for advancement.
Pros
Can make lots of money
Cons
Bad management, low base salary
Excellent organization to work for
Branch Manager (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 1 March 2018
Management has become much better over the years, they truly care about their employees. The company has a fantastic onboarding/training process, and provides many opportunities to advance from within.
Pros
Great work-life balance, plenty of time off
Cons
Overall compensation is good but not great
Quick Learning Environment, but work life balance is not there.
Commercial Underwriter (Current Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 31 January 2018
Western Financial Group offers a great place to learn insurance quickly as you work on all types of accounts and in multiple industries. However an underwriter is responsible for a lot of administrative tasks along with the push to write new business. There is a poor work life balance as the amount of work that is expected is quite high. I have found that a lot of overtime is put in that is unpaid in order to just stay a float for the book of business that is to be handled. The pay is below the average in the industry it seems.
It is a good place to put in a lot of work to learn insurance quickly and develop your skills to advance your career.
Management is friendly, but goals often seem unrealistic and unattainable, which makes life at Western stressful at times. The employees at Western are in general pretty helpful and it is a younger environment. Usually easy to get a long with most of the staff.
The enjoyable part of the underwriting job is that you are able to deal with a number of types of commercial risks (manufacturing, retail, contractors, realty) There are also the opportunity to work on larger accounts as well as small accounts. This keeps you on your toes.
The underwriting team is supportive and cooperative, which makes the day more enjoyable despite the high stress and demands of the position.
It is a good place to put in a lot of work to learn insurance quickly and develop your skills to advance your career.
Management is friendly, but goals often seem unrealistic and unattainable, which makes life at Western stressful at times. The employees at Western are in general pretty helpful and it is a younger environment. Usually easy to get a long with most of the staff.
The enjoyable part of the underwriting job is that you are able to deal with a number of types of commercial risks (manufacturing, retail, contractors, realty) There are also the opportunity to work on larger accounts as well as small accounts. This keeps you on your toes.
The underwriting team is supportive and cooperative, which makes the day more enjoyable despite the high stress and demands of the position.
Pros
Paid Education, Benefits, quickly advance career
Cons
Overworked, high expectations with limited staff to meet the demands, poor training
Drama.
Customer Care Associate (Former Employee) – Fort St. John, BC – 21 December 2017
The office I was trained in had a completely different dynamic and atmosphere than the one I was hired to work in.
The office I was hired to work in was amazing. Everyone knew and did all of the jobs that needed to be done on a daily basis; everyone was supportive; and no drama.
The office I was trained in on the other hand...cell phone use while at work is unacceptable, and personal/professional drama while at work is unacceptable and extremely inappropriate!
The office I was hired to work in was amazing. Everyone knew and did all of the jobs that needed to be done on a daily basis; everyone was supportive; and no drama.
The office I was trained in on the other hand...cell phone use while at work is unacceptable, and personal/professional drama while at work is unacceptable and extremely inappropriate!
Productive and team company
Insurance Advisor (Current Employee) – Nanton, AB – 20 November 2017
Western Financial is a wonderful company to work for. They have the employees best interest at heart and try to help them out in all aspects of the job.
Pros
great benefits
Cons
poor acknowledgment
Would never recommend them as an employer.
Insurance Advisor (Former Employee) – Alberta – 25 October 2017
Typical arrogant corporate culture. Immensely top-heavy company with very little regard for front-line staff. Definitely not following their own guiding principles. Don't care about clients or front-line staff. Lower than average pay in industry. Expect staff to train themselves. Lots of talk and no action. Management expects "yes" people, not staff that have brains of their own.
Basically just don't care about their "people" outside of the head office.
Basically just don't care about their "people" outside of the head office.
Pros
benefit plan
Cons
everything else
Productive and great learning experience
Administrative Coordinator (Former Employee) – High River, AB – 3 September 2017
Performed a wide variety of administrative tasks including the maintenance of records. Provide administrative assistance and coordination on a variety of projects and various project teams. Authorized and managed all mobility devices (267 devices).
Pros
Great environment
Cons
None
Do not work for this company
Insurance Advisor (Former Employee) – Lethbridge, AB – 28 August 2017
I think they must have taken my review down so I will post it again.
I agree with all the negative points made before. There is no real leadership and they purposely under-staff and force you to work overtime without compensation to save the company money.
I also agree with the catty coworkers. Instead of telling me how things were done, being I had come from a direct writer and a brokerage is totally different, they just kept telling me to work faster and started complaining to my manager behind my back, when I had barely even finished training!
I also agree my complaints fall on deaf ears, and I had spoken to coworkers, my TL and my branch manager. Then it was decided that us new employees would get some training, but my assigned trainer blew me off. On top of this I was told to take a client while still on my lunch break after making it very clear I was not back from lunch yet!
No where in the interview or the job ad did it say working on personal time with no pay was a requirement, but that appears to be the only way anyone could keep up with the workload. They'd come in early, stay late, work through lunch and come in on days off! If they would all stop enabling head office to get away with this then maybe they would hire enough staff.
I went home in tears day after day and I am not one to do this kind of thing. I had to leave for my own mental well being, without having had a change to find other work first. This is absolutely the worst job I have ever had.
I agree with all the negative points made before. There is no real leadership and they purposely under-staff and force you to work overtime without compensation to save the company money.
I also agree with the catty coworkers. Instead of telling me how things were done, being I had come from a direct writer and a brokerage is totally different, they just kept telling me to work faster and started complaining to my manager behind my back, when I had barely even finished training!
I also agree my complaints fall on deaf ears, and I had spoken to coworkers, my TL and my branch manager. Then it was decided that us new employees would get some training, but my assigned trainer blew me off. On top of this I was told to take a client while still on my lunch break after making it very clear I was not back from lunch yet!
No where in the interview or the job ad did it say working on personal time with no pay was a requirement, but that appears to be the only way anyone could keep up with the workload. They'd come in early, stay late, work through lunch and come in on days off! If they would all stop enabling head office to get away with this then maybe they would hire enough staff.
I went home in tears day after day and I am not one to do this kind of thing. I had to leave for my own mental well being, without having had a change to find other work first. This is absolutely the worst job I have ever had.
Employee Benefit Sales - great money if you dont mind backing people into a corner
Employee Benefit Sales Representative (Former Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 24 August 2017
Hard phone sales job. You must sell to customers that already have employee benefit packages, which means breaking a broker relationship. If you don't produce withen a few months they will let you go.
Great group of guys to work with, great starting job. Not a career.
Great group of guys to work with, great starting job. Not a career.
good training program and great people
Insurance Advisor (Former Employee) – Lethbridge, AB – 1 August 2017
A great place to start a career in the insurance industry.
Good management with good culture in a Busy office. The people in the office were great to work with willing to support the team.
Good management with good culture in a Busy office. The people in the office were great to work with willing to support the team.
Dynamic Work Environment
Insurance Broker (Former Employee) – Coronation, AB – 16 July 2017
As a broker, one can expect to maintain an existing book of business by providing a combination of excellent advice and customer service to clients, while striving to expand the book of business through referrals and cold calls.
Pros
Dynamic Industry
Cons
Pressure to Up-Sell Clients
Better look for a job elsewhere
Marketing & Sales (Former Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 15 July 2017
This company is NOT heading in the right direction. People turnover is just too much, no stability and hard to say what's going to happen tomorrow.
Salary wasn't that good and benefits are average at best. People are nice to work with, but management doesn't seem to know what they are doing. No plan.
Salary wasn't that good and benefits are average at best. People are nice to work with, but management doesn't seem to know what they are doing. No plan.
Pros
Friendly co-workers, great lunch room
Cons
No direction, no stability, people turnover
Productive company offering advancement and paid training
Account Executive (Current Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 7 July 2017
The company is great to work for. They paid for my licensing (general insurance license level 2) and have been amazing. Management is has been nothing short of amazing in the brief time I have worked here.
Great people, terrible management
Insurance Advisor (Former Employee) – Olds, AB – 21 June 2017
Love the people that I have gotten to work with however the management (in branch and what stems from head office is terrible)
They micromanage their employees with the expectation that you do a pile of work with no extra compensation. Promises are made, with no follow through. Huge turnover in staff.
The manager talks about staff to other staff, when confidentiality is supposed to be in place.
They micromanage their employees with the expectation that you do a pile of work with no extra compensation. Promises are made, with no follow through. Huge turnover in staff.
The manager talks about staff to other staff, when confidentiality is supposed to be in place.
Great employees and place to work
Head office (Former Employee) – High River, AB – 19 June 2017
Great people. Management needs work. All information is withheld from newcomers which makes the long term employees hold all the power. The training was weak and the turnover was huge in one year.
New owners
Vice President (Former Employee) – High River, AB – 14 June 2017
the company is likely changing as they have new owners. it seems though that the sales culture is not quite there and they have great opportunities but not the right leadership to seize the day
High paced and productive work environment
INSURANCE BROKER (Current Employee) – Beaverlodge, AB – 16 May 2017
I really enjoy the staff that I work with as well as the type of work. Daily work involves general administrative duties, writing new policies for personal and commercial clients
work load is intense
Advisor (Former Employee) – Calgary, AB – 9 May 2017
Work load is intense while each agent is required to be the receptionist as well as quotes assist walk in clients the list goes on at times the work load was so intense i felt i would cry or have a nervous breakdown. Def not paid enoughh for this job. Very demanding job ! Great career though..
Management is Never around. little to no training u have to just figure it out. I felt discriminated against by coworkers who were very condescending at times.
Pros
They pay 4 your licensing give lots of time to get your license. Great benefits, bonus. E weeks off year paid
Management is Never around. little to no training u have to just figure it out. I felt discriminated against by coworkers who were very condescending at times.
Pros
They pay 4 your licensing give lots of time to get your license. Great benefits, bonus. E weeks off year paid
Very low pay and lack of management support
Accounting Assistant (Former Employee) – High River, AB – 3 April 2017
Very low paying for the amount of work they pile on your desk. Little to no wage increases from upper management, and lack of support. If you live out of town its a long way to drive for a little more then minimum wage. Wouldn't recommend this company to anyone.
Good place to be
Assistant to Underwriting Department (Former Employee) – Winnipeg, MB – 4 January 2017
The pet insurance branch is a very warm and friendly environment. Pets (mainly dogs) are even allowed to be brought in, with prior permission. It's a really fantastic place to work.
Pros
Great people, great coffee
Cons
if you have dog allergies, it may not be the place for you
Poorly managed
Insurance Advisor (Former Employee) – Grimshaw, AB – 21 December 2016
I felt that my branch was poorly managed and our manager made a point to let us know a few times that we were all replaceable. It was the utmost stereotype of women unable to work together. I felt that some of that tension stemmed from management pitting "team members" against each other.
There was also a lot of unrealistic expectations, like one under staffed office doing two offices work load.
Previous employees were continuously blamed for current problems.
There was also a lot of unrealistic expectations, like one under staffed office doing two offices work load.
Previous employees were continuously blamed for current problems.
Pros
A building block to learn a bit about insurance.
Cons
Poor treatment of employees