Dreadful - Anonymous employee Skipton Building Society Employee Review

Working for The Skipton building society used to mean something. There was pride, trust, and a sense of integrity. Unfortunately, the culture has shifted so dramatically that it’s barely recognisable now. Progression & Favouritism Unless you have friends in ExCo, progression is extremely limited. It’s very much a “your face has to fit” environment. Hard work and capability don’t seem to matter as much as who you know. Poor Use of Members’ Money Over £50,000,000 has been poured into new systems that simply don’t work. They add no value for customers and create more frustration for colleagues. It’s hard to watch that level of waste while being told to “do more with less”. Toxic Competition Between Departments There’s an odd, unprofessional competition between Homes and Money over which celebrity they can secure. Homes is clearly the favourite child, while Money is treated like the poor relation. It’s divisive and does nothing to improve service. Workload & Expectations Workloads keep increasing with no additional support. Colleagues are expected to work beyond their contracted hours for free, under the guise of “goodwill”. At the same time, ExCo make veiled threats about AI replacing jobs. It’s demoralising and completely tone‑deaf. Lack of Transparency & Poor Leadership The business has become secretive. ExCo openly state they won’t answer questions. Recent redundancies were handled appallingly—people were told to leave or accept downgraded roles with no explanation. It felt cold and disrespectful. Office Conditions Head office conditions are poor. There aren’t enough desks despite repeated assurances. It already feels like a battery farm, especially for telephony colleagues packed in row after row. It’s not a healthy or productive environment. Lack of Support for Colleagues With Additional Needs Colleagues with caring responsibilities or additional needs have been asked to disclose deeply personal information just to justify why working in the office three days a week is difficult. It’s intrusive and shows a lack of empathy. Overall This company once stood for trust, pride, and integrity. Sadly, it has become the opposite. The culture is deteriorating, leadership feels disconnected from reality, and colleagues are left feeling undervalued, unheard, and exhausted.