Washington Mutual Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – I managed to get along with my bosses and my coworkers. I did like the benefits and all the employee discounts available.

Cons – I hated the fact that as a teller you had to stand up. Our stations were setup like a cell phone store but worse because there was an area for the customers to look around on the screen as you processed their transactions. This was invasive and uncomfortable for the employee. Now that I think about it, this was dangerous given that anyone could come in and easily physically assault us since it was a bank after all. I felt like WAMU did not care about our safety. My legs would hurt after a long day of standing up.

Advice to Senior Management – Get your employees some chairs!! And put them behind a bullet proof window please!!!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual full-time for more than 10 years

Pros – The vision was exciting at first and I was proud to be a part of WaMu. I was able to do some of my best work, with some very creative and bright people.

Cons – Leadership--and by that I mean the C suite--got caught up in ego gratification and hubris. For the three to four years before the company went under it was all about the numbers.

Advice to Senior Management – Learn from your mistakes and surround yourself with people who tell you the truth ... and then resist the urge to run them off if you don't like what you're hearing.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Great compensation compared to larger banks.

Cons – Unfortunately it went under however was saved by JP Morgan Chase.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – Good pay, benefits, culture. Support in-house promotion vs. outside hiring unless. Excellent stock options and benefits made this a good place to work.

Cons – Failure to see that risky lending practices and a greed for money took over vs. doing the right thing for the customer and the employees ended in the Bank failing.

Advice to Senior Management – I think the Bank could have remained a strong and solid Bank if it wasn't for the loosing of lending guidlines and a "race to the bottom" to approve any and all loan applications. Housing prices, borrow incomes, and FICO scores, are always a snap shot in time---and while that is how all loans are u/w placing more conservative guidelines could have made all the difference!

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – They were growing extensively, lot of new product and new market. Employees were recognized for their performance and hard work.

Cons – Sometimes there was too much red tape to get things done. There could have been more training in some areas.

Advice to Senior Management – The company was bought by Chase and they have changed how the products are offered to different markets, and even the look of the financial centers.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – Good work/life balance, employees treated fairly, good company values, nice culture.

Cons – Acquired by another bank, therefore most were laid off if they did not have a similar opening at the bank that acquired it.

Current Employee – been working at Washington Mutual

Pros – potential growth opportunity and compassionate workers. work and life balance are great. management cares for you and will be there.

Cons – sometmes there are too much politics in play and management don't provide expertise. driven and eager to meet bench goals.

Advice to Senior Management – continue the work life balance and talent programs that allow people to excel at their position and train people better.

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – There were plenty of opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally, the culture was outstanding, the employees were treated with respect and were appreciated.

Cons – Salary is always going to be an issue. Promotional opportunities were plentiful but the salary increases for internal employees were limited.

Advice to Senior Management – Challenge overall company initiatives to get a full understanding of the benefits not just for the company but for the employees as well.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – Good upward mobility, above average compensation, professional yet fun environment. Washington Mutual was a company that respected and rewarded the work of its employees.

Cons – Emphasis on diversity sometimes seemed to trump professional qualifications. The company was a bit to political polar for my taste. And it was apparently too appetizing for Jamie Dimon.

Advice to Senior Management – Don't trust the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, FDIC, or Office of Thrift Supervision. This was a good company and a lot of good people lost their shirts. Obviously, some closed-door meetings and palm greasing led to the fire sale for pennies on the dollar.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Washington Mutual

Pros – rewarded for hard work, ability to promote within the company

Cons – they went out of business

Advice to Senior Management – should have focused more on the branches instead of home loans

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend