What's the company culture at Washington Mutual?

Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Washington Mutual?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Washington Mutual?

The mortgage division will make you do the work of three people. The health benifits are ok. The 401 K and other investments they offer employees are very good. Depending on the manager you have there it could be a rough road. They over work the employees. 3 years ago there was a magazine that rated WAMU one of the top 10 companys to work for. I couldnt figure out how. Working 10 hour days and every saturday 1/2 days was the norm. sucks when you have a family. I missed a memoral once because I had so much work I couldn't get out by 6p.m. I worked at the Downers grove facility and politics were in play big time. If you were part of the "boys club" your job was secure. If you werent liked by the "boys club" you were written up for any little thing they could get you for.

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Washington Mutual?
Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?
What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Washington Mutual?

As far as the environment, I would suppose that would depend on the individual office you worked at. I am sure many of the practices that management practiced here were not sanctioned by corporate WaMu (such as management going on vacations with some of the "chosen" staff - who knows who paid for the trips or what was written off). Perhaps they did sanction such things as vendors buying things for the office & management sharing them with only those they wanted (ie: ski lodge accomodations, luxury box seats for sporting events, etc). Perhaps they also sanction the sharing of peoples salaries, work performance or personal lives with members of management's clique. Then of course there are the promotions of those in said clique (including the one who ended up getting busted for drugs). So, perhaps your local office would be better.

what does the average loan officer make in their first year? What is the pay structure like?

ExWamulian3 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said: As far as the environment, I would suppose that would depend on the individual office you worked at. I am sure many of the practices that management practiced here were not sanctioned by corporate WaMu (such as management going on vacations with some of the "chosen" staff - who knows who paid for the trips or what was written off). Perhaps they did sanction such things as vendors buying things for the office & management sharing them with only those they wanted (ie: ski lodge accomodations, luxury box seats for sporting events, etc). Perhaps they also sanction the sharing of peoples salaries, work performance or personal lives with members of management's clique. Then of course there are the promotions of those in said clique (including the one who ended up getting busted for drugs). So, perhaps your local office would be better.

It sounds like you are talking about Bethel Park under SS. I left for the very same reasons.

curiousaboutwamu in Austin, Texas said: what does the average loan officer make in their first year? What is the pay structure like?

It depends if you are an internal loan consultant, or external. Internals earn a salary of 30K plus a smaller commission tier. Externals are commission only, at a higher tier, of course.

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Washington Mutual?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Washington Mutual?

UNPROFESSIONAL, MANAGEMENT IS OVERWORKED, UNDER-SUPPORTED, NO REGIONAL DIRECTION, CLIQUE-ISH AND DIS-LOYAL TO DEDICATED EMPLOYEES.

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at Washington Mutual?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at Washington Mutual?

KERRY'S DREAM: FAIR, CARING, HUMAN, DYNAMIC AND DRIVEN...WENT THE WAY OF DEANNA OPPENHEIMER,MIKE AND OTHERS.....ENGLAND WAS IT?

WASHINGTON MUTUAL "WAS" A LOVELY CONCEPT, ONE IN WHICH I TOTALLY BOUGHT INTO; LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL . AS IT TURNED, THE LOCK, THE STOCK AND THE BARREL WERE LOADED AND POINTED AT ME, YET EVER SO POLITELY.

A friend works for the small business division and he tells me it is a nightmare. The job has changed because there aren't enough business customers and everyone is cold calling most of the time. Everyone's goals across the US are the same and the employees are supposed to focus on businesses with sales above $1mm; great if you are in a metropolitan area. Several of the other employees have told me that they think this attempt will go the way of the other 2-3 business banking startups in the last 10 years. Apparently some regions still don't have managers so there isn't much support. Plus upper management is from out of state (Chicago, etc) so they don't understand the California market. My friend says people have been fired or coerced to resign which he will do as soon as he can find another job.

After reading comments on indeed.com about all sorts of companies, I am surprised that the comments (since they are mostly complaints) get amazingly down to the truth for the companies I know about. (Microsoft =stress, long hours and backstabbing, UPS = people screaming at you, WaMu = large company that does not care about people anymore and is laying off everyone they can.)

Here is my experience after working at the corporate offices. At WaMu they do not even pretend that people count any more, it is all about profits. Jobs are constantly going to India or other places where people costs are cheaper.

A friend who is still at WaMu (an underwriter with years of experience) will be training her India Buddy in the next few weeks. Her division laid off hundreds in the last few months, and it looks like her job is going to go to her new buddy.

This is true of other large companies as well, and not unique to WaMu. Unfortunately.