Work at Nationwide Insurance Company — Reviews by Employees

Nationwide was one of the only companies hiring in Des Moines during the past year. I have for the most part enjoyed working there, but I do agree with some of the comments on the site. If you are actually exceeding expectations you are not given that ranking. Also it seems to be shrinking in certain areas and I know that is probably hurting local economies. I think I get paid decently for what I do there. The main complaint I have is that the health benefits are not that good and you would think an insurance company would be able to pick good health insurance policies for you to choose from. I would also say that I feel a lot of your performance is based off of unobtainable standards. I never see anyone that is exceeding in every area of their performance. But I would say that I don't feel as negatively about the company as others do and that is probably because my job hasn't been cut and I haven't been there long enough to get bitter.

I work in Charlotte as a Material Damage associate, although sometimes the work becomes demanding , I am fortunate to have a job during these hard times. In regards to management,( I have read some horror stories on this site) our manager is probably one of the best I have ever worked for( and there has been a few). He is knowledgeble, helpful, always available, cares for his associates, motivating and makes everyone feel like they are truly have a purpose and they make a different. He is very approachable and has not forgotten where he came from, the one thing I really appreciate is his ability to tell it like it is, give feedback when needed and his ability to make everyone a better employee.

Things have really "changed" in the past several years at Nationwide Insurance, the one positive change has been management here in NC in regards to my manager,his Associate director and the Director of the state, in these trying times really make everyone feel that they care and are looking out for all of us.

NW is consolidating all of it's Texas Casualty to Iowa!
Then we see on the news, a new HQ is being built in SA. It's not good to find out what your company is doing on the news before the company tells you.
Job security is non-existant at this point.

I've definitely had worse jobs. My short stay at Nationwide was mostly positive. I'd rate the Pac West Region a 9.5 for working environment and emotional intelligence of associates. They're probably the best bunch of people I've ever met. I miss them dearly.

The change of P&C leadership, meaning the shift from the prior P&C president to the current one had the biggest impact on the region. In a fairly short time the region experienced a quick and lethal excision of expenses as a result of the shift from "project" or growing region to "profit center". I have mixed feelings about that. It's like trying to harvest tomatoes from a seedling and then stomping it when it doesn't produce. Every job has its' accountabilty and sometimes tough decisions need to be made..

I'm both sad and happy to longer be a Natiowide associate. I have no axe to grind. As I said before, I've definitely worked at worse places.

I have been a Nationwide agent for 30 years, and am in my mid 50's. My career has been mostly a joy. I continue to make a very decent income, and rarely had to miss any of my children's events when they were growing up. I have built a reasonably large agency and currently have 7 employees. I have made President's Conference 6 or 7 times, and until the last couple years consistently qualified for other conferences.As far as I know, I am respected by other Nationwide agents and company employees as professional and honest.

Despite all of the above, I am preparing for the day when I will leave Nationwide. I am cutting back expenses, rapidly paying off acquisition loans, and keeping my ears open for other employment options. My employees, clients, and Nationwide management would be shocked to know this, as I have shown little indictation outside of family and close friends as to the level of my dissatisfaction. I do not anticipate leaving in the next few months, but I would be surprised if I were still an agent in 2 years, and totally shocked if I were still around in 5 years.

The reasons for this are as follows:
1) Like everyone, I am frustrated with Nationwide's lack of an apparent plan, and continual changes in direction. I realize that virtually all financial services companies are in pain right now, but it is difficult to understand why we appear to be in more of a crisis mode than other similar insurance companies.
2) My largest asset is my extended earnings. I have watched this asset decline 3 years in a row, and I anticipate this trend will continue. It makes little sense to keep an asset that one anticipates will decline in value.
3) The price competition is intense from 800 numbers, the internet, independents, and other direct writers. It is very hard to win at the price game. We are in a new and different insurance world.
4) There is a huge demographic problem, in that my client base is aging. Younger people are purchasing from other sources, or moving to more economically inviting areas than that in which my business is located. In other words, my old clients are dying off, and I have noone to replace them.
5) The economy is just plain scary.
6) Insurance is not as fun as it used to be, and life is too short not to have fun.

I am not overly mad at Nationwide, which is made up of individuals who are dealing with very difficult challenges. While I blame corporate decisions for some of my business problems, much of the situation agents find themselves in is related to the economy in general and the development of alternative ways for our clients to buy insurance. It's a very tough situation, and I have few answers. My suggestion to other agents is to try to prepare for the transition from Nationwide to another career. I understand that this is easier said than done, but it is the reality of the situation we find ourselves in. Things may change, and I may surprise myself and still be a Nationwide career agent when I am 65. Nonetheless, I am preparing for the possibility that I will leave Nationwide, and I urge others to make the same preparations should it become necessary to leave. The insurance industry is on a wild ride that niether we Agents nor the company can control. I hope all works out for the best for all agents, and especially for the younger agents who have massive debt and little extended earnings. Thanks for reading my one and probably only post.

Nationwide has been as good as it will get and due to major initiatives and recent developments many associates are shaking in their seats. Being in the position that I am in my job has unfortunately evolved into a dail numbers chess match versus a daily people development journey.

Some posts on here showcase the logic of the grass is greener mentality however nobody owes you anything therefore you must be willing to go and get it yourself. Call it what you want, but you must learn who you true provider is in this world and not always look to others to compensate for your trouble.

I could go deeper into the many challenges we face here or the topics that some consider unfair, but I am responsible for the job I do no matter where I am or what title I hold. Being in the professional world for quit some time Nationwide has not done anything that surprises me other then reduce shelve projects before they reach a promising level of maturity to determine their ultimate effectiveness on the company and customers as a whole.

Other then that I love to work and Nationwide offers me that opportunity.

Lowest - Benefits = -3 due to the fact that the best dental care offered will not cover much (But it's better then big brothers handout)
Highest - Location = 4 because I prefer the city any day

I have worked for Nationwide for 5 1/2 years. I have been working in my current area for 4 1/2 of those years. I love my job. I have been provided numerous opportunities for growth and have taken advantage of all of those opportunities. I am very happy to be a Nationwide employee and I feel very fortunate to have a job.

I work at Nationwide and I love my job. Sure, I work a lot of hours, but it's nothing I can't handle. I enjoy what I do, I enjoy working with the group of people I do and I have a good time at work. We took cuts just like the rest of the company, just like the rest of the U.S. for that matter. It's a tough economy. Companies make decisions in order to keep the company running. If you're not producing, you may not have a job. If your job has been automated, you may not have a job. It's the way the world works. Technology, improvements, cutting expenses, etc. Isn't that the same thing everyone does when times are tight. Can't afford to pay the bills, then cut the cable, cut back on electric, stop eating out. Why would you expect a company to be any different? What would you expect - have them run the company in the ground so everyone loses their job. Not getting a raise? So what. At least you're working, right? Maybe you don't deserve a raise. I'd forego a raise for the entire company if it meant we kept our jobs. We make money from the stock market. When the market is down, so is the revenue. No revenue = no money for raises. If you want more money, increase your education and find a better job.

When I read the Jobvent reviews of Nationwide before I started working at the company last winter, I thought for sure that the reviews on this website had to be skewed by underachieving whiners who couldn't recognize a good company. I was wrong. Here are the reasons why I've given the ratings I chose for this review.

Pay (+3) -- I work in a customer service environment and make nearly 30K. I believe this is more than fair given the averages among customer service professionals.

Respect (-1) -- My supervisor is very respectful of us, but the company's interdepartmental relations are in disarray. I've worked for insurance companies before, but I have never had so many experiences with agents, processors, claims agents, and others speaking disrespectfully or argumentatively to one another. There is a constant battle between agents and phone representatives. This could all be fixed with an interdepartmental meeting, but I doubt that will ever happen.

Benefits (+3) -- There are several critical assessments of the company's benefits on Jobvent, but I think the benefits are pretty good. I do feel that the emergency room copay is too high, but there is no copay to see the dentist or other specialists. That is quite good. For a single person, I pay around $50 per paycheck. Many have written that $50 for a single person is too high... I don't recall ever paying less than that at other companies in the past 10 years. There are also various discounts for purchasing goods and services at other companies. I like that.

Job Security (-2) -- I scored the job security aspect at "negative two" because there have been so many layoffs in recent months. We are told that our department is safe, but there's no such thing as a "sure thing" in this economy. I don't blame Nationwide for this issue. Layoffs are just an ugly truth of the current workforce.

Work/Life Balance (0) -- I chose a neutral score of "zero" because my job responsibilities end when I walk out the door each day. As a sidenote, the employee engagement survey asked me if I would refer my friends or family to Nationwide. When I responded "No," the survey asked me why. I thought it was a bit forward to ask "why..."-- I felt imposed upon and did not feel comfortable answering that question. However, I answered that the rates are too high and we have an abnormally high number of service issues.

Career Potential/ Growth (1) -- I chose "one" because I naively thought that this would be a good company to grow with, but I've learned that growth opportunities are somewhat minimal and can take a really long time. Most of the people who move around in the company do so laterally, from what I've learned. There are opportunities to be promoted to supervisor and manager, but I am seeing that it is "who you know" and not "what you know" that counts. Prime example: there is a young lady who was hired with our group who is constantly called upon for special projects (sign that she is being groomed for a promotion)... It is widely known that she improperly fraternized with our trainer. I wouldn't believe it if it wasn't happening right under my nose.

Location (+4) -- I like my work location. It is in a safe, easy-to-access area with a low cost of living.

Coworker Competence (-3) -- Nationwide is a huge company with four or five call centers Nationwide. Each center has its own way of doing things, its own workplace culture, and seemingly- it's own work ethic. Many of the call center representatives at our company are known for failing to follow through with promises, dodging voice mails, and failing to research matters which can lead to serious processing issues. Likewise, some of our processors are less than conscientious when it comes to their work. We prolong the process of helping our customers because we are constantly having to fix **our own** hair-brained mistakes. I understand that we are all human, but some of these issues indicate a lack of training and there is currently no process in place to calibrate our efforts. We even have a rule that prevents my department from phoning the processing department... We are a bureacracy, and we don't have to be that way. It's frustrating.

Work Environment (-3) -- I love the people in my department, but I am frustrated DAILY by our AWFUL technology. Rather than having one or two reliable systems, we have seven or eight that don't communicate with one another. One system will show a premium amount of "X..." Another system will show a premium amount of "Y..." We can't do a same-day homeowner's insurance quote on an existing policy due to system limitations. We have to process it overnight and hope that it goes through properly. Quoting takes FOREVER because we have to manually input things like vehicle rating symbols and discount codes. (Mind you, we spend oodles of time LOOKING THESE SYMBOLS UP in a massive online database). We are light years behind other insurance companies. This is unacceptable for a company of our size and caliber in 2009.

I also hate that we are regularly taking such aggressive rate increases across the nation. (10 to 25%)... Customers are leaving in droves, but the company doesn't seem to care. That's pretty alarming. I don't feel proud to work for a company that would price gouge its policy holders in such hard times. Yes, I understand that we had a rough fiscal year in 2008, but our response to it seems greedy and insensitive. We could keep more customers if we took more conservative increases over two or three years, or if we tightened our underwriting standards. We have also resolved to stop allowing customers to insure at below 100% of replacement cost. This makes us an industry outlier... It's a ploy to force existing insureds to pay more money-- and it's sad.

So that completes my assessment. Yes, it was long, but it's all true. Sad... I now understand why Nationwide is the second WORST place to work according to employee surveys on Jobvent

Because Nationwide is a large company, the experience of employees within different areas can vary widely. I worked for Nationwide for over a decade in various areas, and my experience was fairly good overall. Some managers were much more agreeable on issues of flexible schedules and the needs of family life. Others not so much, so don't expect a consistent policy. Although all companies are political, Nationwide seemed to be getting worse. More and more people seem to be promoted because of connections and good networking rather than talent and hard work. Leaders in the company are usually short term and don't appear to care about strategic interests. Nationwide is paying for not promoting good people or giving them incentives to stay for the long run. It might be unfair to criticize Nationwide about job security in this economy. Yes, they let a lot of long time employees go, but the reality is that many companies are forced into this position. Better decisions might save money and jobs. Overall, I would recommend Nationwide to others. It's not a perfect company, but compared to many other big companies, I think Nationwide should rank fairly high.