First Niagara Financial Reviews

Former Employee – worked at First Niagara Financial full-time

Pros – Great company when it started out, very involved in helping you obtain licensing and learning the business

Cons – Can be disorganized as they continue to grow and buy other banks, current employee's can feel forgotten about as other employees coming on board from the bank's First Niagara bought seem to take top priority

Advice to Senior Management – Don't forget about the employee's who helped make you who you are today

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

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial

Pros – Somewhat collaborative culture.
Decent salaries for W. New York.

Cons – Unintentional bait and switch...company needs to learn true strategy.
People are nice, but the level of outside/large company experience at management/senior level hinders the company growth potential.

Advice to Senior Management – Company needs to restructure itself in order to clearly understand your potential career path.
Advancement maybe possible only if you are in the right role.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Not many, Benefits are pretty good for now but word of insurance being cut some next year is circulating.

Cons – company does not care about employees at all. Raises are measly if you are lucky to get one. Most locations are short staffed at all times so you end up not being able to take break while customers yell at you for making them wait.

Advice to Senior Management – give up and sell. Most employees here have given up and are looking elsewhere.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial part-time for less than a year

Pros – Competitive pay, HR & Tech center is very helpful.

Cons – Advancement within company takes a while.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Co-workers
OK Salary for WNY
OK Benefits
Flexible time/shifts

Cons – Zero advancement in IT unless you come from outside the company.
Lack of focus/too many projects in flight.
Heavy effort to out source all services they can.
Sr. IT Leadership are all talk/no action.
More project mangers then they know what to do with.

Advice to Senior Management – Start at the top and work down quick. The relationship between IT and business units is horrible and only getting worse. Pick a handful of projects and work on those to completion. Listen to the people in the trenches instead of high priced/low yield consultants.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial full-time for less than a year

Pros – I have great local and mid-level leadership.

Cons – The company is still catching up to the 21st century in some ways.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial part-time for more than a year

Pros – Benefits are good ....that's about it

Cons – Turnover is high...company is constantly changing staff!

Advice to Senior Management – Practice what you preach!

Former Employee – worked at First Niagara Financial full-time for more than a year

Pros – you receive a paycheck every 2 weeks

Cons – -no opportunity for advancement even if you are more than qualified for the job openings
-everything operates on favoritism, even if you have the best numbers you are not promoted

Advice to Senior Management – Get to know all employees and utilize the talent that you have, instead of promoting off of favoritism

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at First Niagara Financial full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – The people I worked with daily. My vacation and flexibility since my supervisor was in Buffalo.

Cons – They lay people off left and right.
They don't know the market they got into when they bought Harleysville National Bank.

Advice to Senior Management – Know your market and stop putting fluff in your employees ears about the culture and how great it is. Not really that great if you're laying off employees all the time. If they would have done proper due diligence they wouldn't need to lay good people off.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at First Niagara Financial full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Parties are fun, Senior Management pumps you up with motivational fluffery.

Cons – Executives, Leadership Council, and Managers can not be trusted. They promote the CULTURE as outstanding. They need to stop talking to themselves. If anyone tries to provide constructive advice or make real change - they are silenced. Look at the long list of outstanding leaders who have been let go for no reason and with no notice.

John Koelmel, the CEO is out for himself and that permeates the organization. Mr. Koelmel has FNFG pay for company events that are personal parties for him. He is a bully that is not capable of listening. As soon as someone as a different idea than his, that person is escorted from the company. I have seen it time and time again.

The lack of integrity permeates the management ranks. They make promises they do not live up to. They are dishonest people. The Management Committee members on down will tell you how great they work together and the great culture. Then behind closed doors they put themselves first - time and time again. Do not be fooled!!

Advice to Senior Management – The Board of Directors needs to wake up and replace all the lying, dishonest, promise-makers who take care of themselves at the expense of customers and employees.

Management and all employees - keep your resumes updated as you are all replaceable and your "teammates" are plotting your exit that could occur at any time.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company