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      Barclays

      Engaged Employer

      Barclays reviews

      4.0

      78% would recommend to a friend

      (22,148 total reviews)
      avatar

      C.S. Venkatakrishnan

      85% approve of CEO

      72% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Barclays has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 22,148 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Barclays employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Finanza industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      22K reviews
      5.0
      Aug 24, 2008

      Barclays looking growing footprint in North America

      Sales
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Barclays is trying to grow its footprint in North America. They have leading electronic platforms and have not put much effort into selling it globally or regionally until summer of 2007. In terms of cross selling platforms of Fixed Income, FX, Commodities, FX Options, Money Markets, and Futures the BARX has a very strong offering compared to other banks. I have reviewed and worked with the top 5 in the last 5 years. Barx is now pushing from the TOP Mgmt down to drive Emerging Markets Electronically. Resources and support from all different asset groups are very well coordinated and driven for success....more so than I have witnessed at DB or UBS. I view it more like a GS.

      Cons

      Old regime fighting change. The old school traders that are not embracing electronic trading are slowly losing out because their clients are going electronic with or without them. Second, BARX Upper Management is forcing them to support electronic trading. They expect the traditional sales guys to be working on cross products and structured products that are more profitable for 80% of their day. The day to day trades that can be done electronically they want moved over to the BARX platform as it is cheaper for the bank to process those trades electronically and frees up the time of the traditional voice sales coverage to work on structured trades.

      1.0
      Aug 24, 2008

      Want to work in a dynamic fast paced environment with excellent career prospects? Then dont work for Barclays !!!!

      Operations officer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      To use as a stepping stone into a decent company

      Cons

      Salary is very low compared to other local companys ie BNP Paribas, Resolution Assett Management & Smith & Williamson. The only way to progress in this company is if your friends with the management as its jobs for the boys no matter how much knowledge or experience you have.

      avatar
      Barclays Response
      8y
      It is very disappointing to read this review of our Glasgow team. I would like to comment that we are focused on recruiting and retaining the right people and ensure that our salaries are benchmarked with local markets to attract future talent. I cannot comment on your own circumstances however our pay structures are linked to both local market drivers and, once colleagues are settled into their roles, personal performance. Your experience of the Glasgow office is very different to mine. I am not sure if you get the regular news up-dates from the Scotland management team however I would encourage you to seek these out as maybe you are not on the mailing list. They are very informative and also highlight new roles and career opportunities.
      3.0
      Aug 24, 2008

      The best of British

      manager (i don't manager any one - just a title)
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The leadership and influence of Bob Diamond has been key to Barcap being where it is today, and to the respect it has earned in the sector. During my interactions with other units, I have come across several senior managers who appear to have taken inspiration from him, and have driven performance of their teams. Therefore, the major upside is probably being able to work and get experience from certainly the best of British IB’s, and one of the best globally. Provided you are in the right team or business unit, this place is generally a true meritocracy. There are many MD’s who are still years away from hitting 40. At the same time, there are several high profile senior MD’s and global heads who were let go, when they failed to continue to deliver. It certainly is hard work, but having been there for nearly three years, I have never come across anybody saying it is a sweatshop. You have freedom to manage your work. The culture is fairly relaxed; and there is great drive and support to recruit, retain and develop talent (something Diamond never fails to reiterate in his quarterly updates); and promote charitable activities. Women’s networks are very active, and there are several female MD’s; however, their ratio is far from being 1:1. Staff benefits such as pensions and health insurance are reasonably generous (from my UK experience), and I doubt are available at similar levels at some of the American banks.

      Cons

      The downsides really depend on the team or business unit you are in. Overall, there is probably a net upside, given my comments earlier. However, what I have found is that, in some cases, Diamond has not been so successful in passing down his inspiration and enthusiasm through the leadership ladder. Generally, front office is devoid of this issue, as I guess it benefits most from his oversight. However, there are certain pockets in the middle office (where I work), where culture and perspectives are still not quite 21st century; where internal politics and cronyism is a bit too obvious. Consequently, meritocracy and fair treatment have tended to suffer. There are highly talented senior managers (in their area of expertise), but with hardly any interpersonal skills and knowledge of people & relationship management. Their lack of the softer skills have sometimes tended to impact the team fabric. Occasionally, there are individuals, whose lack of knowledge is far exceeded by the positions and rewards they enjoy. If you are unlucky enough to work in such teams, especially in times of a very dry market such as the current ones, where there are not many other jobs on offer, this can have a huge impact on morale.

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