Only good to join if you are a new graduate and want to stay for 3 years max - Director Silicon Valley Bank Employee Review

3.0
21 Apr 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Platform to quickly built up connections in the industry if you join the right team within SVB - Lots of dinners and events to join if you are market facing - Unlimited vacation policy - Most people are nice within the org

Cons

- SVB intentionally underpays and tries to maintain a lean structure. However, this is a bank that requires lots of human and capital investments into operations. No one wants to work for you if there isn't a fair reward/output ratio across functions. - Extremely political. As folks like Mike D rises up in the org, people he trusts get promoted faster. Mostly nothing to do with talent but everything to do if their thought process aligns with his. And similar goes to other members within the steering committee. Not a bright future for the bank when you keep doing story telling on diversity while your own leadership table has zero diversity. Having 2-3 women at the table has nothing to do with diversity. You need diversity on career background, race, age, and geography. - SVB went through at least 6 annual re-orgs in the last few years with the hope to break things down. The results are horrible. One team that really needs to be re-org'd is HR but nothing happened to them. Same drills every day. And never spent time/money to actually provide onboarding and career training when half of the company has been there for less than 3 years. - Less than 20% of SVB staff is actually tech-savvy. Most people have no clue and no interest in what SVB's clients actually do. Most people within SVB can't even actually tell what are some of the main subsidiaries of the financial group and don't even know how the organization makes its money.

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Silicon Valley Bank Response
7y
Response from Chris Edmonds-Water, CHRO Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback on SVB, both positive and constructive. I thought it both helpful and important to respond to a few comments made in your review. We are indeed a company that leads with our values, and I believe that translates into SVB being a great place to work. We take care to benchmark salaries at the market median. Due to outperformance by employees and the company, we have funded our bonus pool at a multiple in recent years, resulting in pay closer to the third quartile for most employees. No doubt SVBers work hard, but our market data shows they are paid competitively. In terms of our inclusion and diversity efforts, it is indeed a continuous process. Based on traditional metrics of diversity (gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ) we have made progress. But as you noted, diversity is more than being uniquely about one’s background; rather it’s also about having a different world view that helps make for even better business outcomes, and feeling included in such a way that you’re comfortable sharing your point of view. Two final comments: we’re currently redesigning our New Hire Orientation and on-boarding experience such that we establish a realistic timeframe for new hires to get up to speed, learn about SVB’s products, services and culture, and deepen the new employee experience. Additionally, we’ve recently launched a cohesive career development experience called SVB Blueprint that we’re excited to roll out to more SVBers this year. We believe new employee onboarding and career development are key to our culture and success, and as such we’re dedicating significant financial resources to this efforts. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns. I hope I was able to address some of your concerns. Best, -Chris

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5.0
9 Jun 2026
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CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Great Pay - Great People

Cons

- Post FCB Migration - Things have slowed down

1.0
31 Mar 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pre-2023, excellent culture and team environment, strong compensation and bonuses, and generous budgets that supported employees well.

Cons

Since the 2023 bankruptcy, the company has struggled to regain its identity. There has been significant turnover in senior leadership, and much of the experienced management team has departed. This has led to inconsistent direction, frequent misalignment between leadership messaging and execution, and a noticeable decline in employee confidence. Compensation, bonuses, and career progression opportunities have become less competitive, and overall employee support has diminished. The organization now feels more like a rebranded extension of First Citizens rather than the distinct institution it once was. There is also an over-layering of management, with too many overlapping roles and unclear accountability, which slows decision-making and creates unnecessary complexity. Finally, the company has lost much of its competitive edge post-2023, with ongoing client attrition and reputational challenges that employees are left to address without clear strategic direction.

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