associate

analyst

software engineer

customer service representative

senior analyst

NAB - National Australia Bank

I have been at NAB for over a year. I started out as a Call center employee in the Direct Servicing team. Your time at NAB is dependent on team leaders and work politics. For some people, they had team leaders who didn't support them and would throw them under the bus for simple mistakes. Luckily, the training and my team leader were nice to me and even helped me to write a reference that was good for career development. This role was good for me because it was part-time, but for FULL time workers it is a different story. 

This role is highly stressful and you constantly deal with emotional and angry customers. This work drains you mentally that you start to question your insanity. Not to mention there are high turnover rates.

When you think this is bad, think again. When I transitioned to a branch teller role, everything was a disaster. The management was soo bad and the environment was toxic. They treat their transitional staff with no respect and they manipulate/reduce your hours without a formal written document between both parties. Not to mention there wasn't any contract given for the transition. Management was super unhelpful due to conflicting stories and quite often upper-level people back up managers even though they are wrong. Co-workers often gossip behind your back and there is a strong game of work politics. The training was inadequate and you are thrown into the deep end just to result in mistakes and cash errors. Not to mention, they don't pay overtime for the mistakes you do to find cash error or other duties. Branch Managers often don't help out as well and always complain to staff about the performance and lack of teamwork which is ironic and hypocritical. Not to mention the branches are always understaffed. 

What's worse is that in situations where there is a cash error, they force people to come to work even though they are sick, to find an error that is not traceable despite you call up in the morning to tell them your sick. Managers can't accept constructive criticisms from staff and often they are arrogant. What's worse is that the current manager is always late for 25 minutes resulting in bad preparation and lack of professionalism and make jokes that are borderline racist. Word of advice, DO NOT work in a branch. No career development and hard to jump to other divisions. 

Overall, my experience at NAB and rating could have been good, but the bank teller role and upper management are so toxic that it has left a bad taste in my mouth. Definitely not recommended for permanent entry-level roles, but if your a uni student who wants to do part-time or short term full time, it might work in your favor.

I worked for NAB for five+ years, receiving ‘Outstanding’ reviews and stakeholder awards for my performance. At the end of a 3 year secondment, my new manager requested HR approve me being placed on Performance Management due to a diagnosis I shared with her (as I had my previous manager) before I reported to her. HR refused her request but concocted a plan by which I’d be systematically forced out, commencing with a demand to speak to my specialist on demand.

They based this demand on the terms of the standard contract which theoretically enabled them to make the demand even though no performance issues pertaining to me were alleged and none were ever documented.

Multiple times daily for over six months I was told she’d observed “fits of confusion” despite no such event ever taking place. I was publicly abused for my partial deafness.

Yet our stakeholders praised my performance as exemplary and she suppressed nominations for awards they’d made and formally requested that my manager be replaced.

Long story short, I was dismissed eight months later on entirely false pretences via an email sent, without any warning, after 4pm on a Friday afternoon; an email which concluded with the “reminder” that I remained eligible for their Employee Assistance Program which was “accessible 9am-4pm Monday-Friday”. NAB knowingly defrauded me of accumulated time-in-lieu and other benefits.

On legal advice, I agreed to settle for the then maximum 22 weeks’ compensation at Fair Work Australia which NAB, despite being obliged to pay in full within 14 days, then took three months to remit and, even then, deducted tax at the full rate rather than the correct ETP rate.

While there are many very good and talented people at NAB with whom I remain close, the cancerous culture exposed at the Banking Royal Commission is endemic and there’s no lie that NAB won’t tell to avoid liability.

By way of example, NAB denied receiving medical reports and other documentation (including that which they’d acknowledged receiving before Fair Work Australia) pursuant to a compensation claim despite them being sent via registered mail and formal receipts being tendered in proof; NAB staff knowingly abused their status as a Self-Insurer to simply delay and deny responsibility.

As an organisation, NAB is regressive and cancerous to the core.

Typical Day at work: Overload and Overworked,

What I have learnt: Can not trust anyone,

Management: Poor Management. No support or help, If they listen to your problems they actually turn it around and use it against you,
Co-workers: Like Cat eat Dog, some staff are very nasty to your face or behind your back. The nice ones the other staff are fake to and constantly talk about them,

Hardest part of job: Work overload/Stress constantly, nearly lost my job due to a manager stating I was 15mins LATE when in fact my hours were at 9.30am so I was actually 15mins EARLY. Received an AMBERGATE for this aswell. Bullying in the workplace then told I am the problem, no support or help. Missing my childrens 2x assemblies but other staff are allowed to see theirs. Ok to leave me alone on counter with a line of 20 people but they could not have two people on counter so I could go see my kids. No Team Work, can not ask questions unless it is only once per subject. One of our regulars past away it really upset me. High staff turn over. Always short staffed. Advised no relief but relief staff state NOT ENOUGH WORK. Other staff are paid to balance but I am expected to serve/balance up to 1 hour after closing for FREE....Many more problems I do not recommend to others.

Most Enjoyable part of job: THE CUSTOMERS ARE LOVELY CARING PEOPLE WHO WARNED ME WHEN I GOT THE JOB TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THIS BANK CHANGES STAFF TOO REGULARLY.....Loved being a Teller, customer service and meeting people. Most of all LOVED the regular customers. Finding other staff that had experienced the same thing as I....So I knew it isn't me,

NAB ASSIST - CASUAL

I worked at NAB in the customer care department for about 5 months, I didn't stay long because the job really wasn't suited for me. The pay was excellent, the staff was great and they were welcoming in the interview process and throughout my time working there that it was okay to be honest about wanting to move up in the company and not wanting to stay very long in that position. 
NAB is also an amazing work place for someone that has little experience, I had only 6 months experience prior in a grocery store, I was freshly out of  high school.

My main issue was I only figured out the job wasn't suited to me down the track because it wasn't very clear/transparent what the role actually was. They didn't make it clear that the job was going to be in their call centre, they also didn't make it clear that we were going to having to speak to customers about extremely sensitive issues and it's recommended if you're a sensitive or easily emotional person id don't think the role was suited. Also in the interview process we were promised a few benefits that didn't apply to us, it was only for full time employees and we were being hired as casuals.
There was also some miscommunication about working hours, we were promised certain hours and that ended up changing, and we didn't have an option to change them. So it was rather you had to adjust or leave.

The training aspect was amazing, very challenging is you have social anxiety but it pushes you. 

Ultimately I'm glad I got that experience, it was a great work environment and I learnt a lot about myself when I was there (that I'm not suited for jobs like this) and it's a great company to work for.



My experience in the pre-graduate (intern) program has given me a greater perspective and understanding of how financial institutions operate, how teams are managed, and how the products are developed to meet growing demands in the marketplace (on a general scale). It has provides me with a solid understanding of team-specific projects that involve cutting edge trade product creation. On a personal and professional level, the program has been valuable. I now appreciate the diverse employment opportunities within the banking sector.

At the NAB I was given the opportunity to work with a team of people who are the best in their field. My experience at the NAB demonstrated the importance of having the right people in the right positions; my team was passionate requiring little management and showing great personal leadership. Having high-skilled, self-disciplined and mature people delivers high-productivity and high-quality work across the board. 

The team I worked with showed a huge amount of respect for both their team leader and each other. They collaborated to achieve shared outcomes. The team was highly progressive, consistently developing innovative practices to drive better quality and performance outcomes. This type of environment fosters excellence in product and service delivery. It is the reason why I would like to be a part of NAB, and I believe the organisation will provide a solid foundation to launch my career in banking and finance.

Customer Interaction: Call center roles involve interacting with customers on a daily basis. This provides an opportunity to assist customers, answer their queries, and provide solutions to their banking needs. It can be a rewarding experience to help customers navigate through their financial matters.

Training and Development: NAB typically provides comprehensive training programs to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. This can include product and system training, as well as customer service and communication skills development.

Career Growth: NAB is a large financial institution with various departments and career paths. Working in a call center can serve as a stepping stone for career advancement within NAB. There may be opportunities to explore different roles, such as team leader positions or transitioning to other departments based on your skills and interests.

Team Environment: Call centers often foster a collaborative and supportive team environment. You'll have the chance to work alongside colleagues who share similar responsibilities and goals. This can create a sense of camaraderie and support as you navigate through daily tasks and challenges.

Work-Life Balance: NAB recognizes the importance of work-life balance for its employees. While call center roles may involve shift work, NAB strives to provide flexible working arrangements and options to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

A typical day at work would be like:
Get there early, prepare for my day, have breakfast while organizing my files and reading my emails. Have a quick catch up with colleagues just in case there was something early in the morning or late the night before that I could have missed. 
We would have our morning meetings to talk about our results from day before and plan for the day.
I learned how to manage my time and prioritize my work so that I could reach my target without affecting  customers and obtaining good results.
I learned about what happens behind the scenes before the actual CONGRATULATIONS YOUR LOAN HAS BEEN APPROVED.
The diversity of colleagues was fantastic, different cultures, foods and levels in education. I made it very interesting to work with and learnt different things from all of them. Each one individually was very helpful to have around due to their different experiences.
I had 2 different team leaders at 2 different stages and they were absolutely fantastic. Very helpful and always with equality. They really care for their team members.
The hardest part of that job was that, being temp we never got paid overtime, sick leave and always had the uncertainty of not being left jobless any time.
And the most enjoyable part of the job was helping customers, helping them achieve their dream and then giving them the good news.

NAB used to be a good place to work before a spate of separation - First Life Insurance Unit and now Wealth Unit - have brought the worst out of the current crop of employees who are displaying the true color of NAB as it was unearthed by the Royal Banking  Commission.Their Public posturing is totally different from what they really are.
 
The Separation has caused tremendous anxiety and stress to current employees who have gone from being helpful and cheerful to being absolute monsters trying to find fault at everyone but themselves.

I had  the misfortune of working in separation program and experienced it first hand. The lack of support from technology teams affected by separation,  to finger pointing,  to tarnishing the image of external contractors who are trying to do an honest job.

The recruitment partners take a one sided view and take feedback only from permanent employees while shutting out the contractors completely.

All this to ensure that they remain in the job for as long as they can and delay the inevitable separation.

Also, more favored ones not only get a redundancy package but also get a chance to be back in NAB as contractors with total disregard to recruitment policies that NAB has.

A lot of the comments from this review can be applied to any of the large four banks in Australia, as the work cultures are largely similar. I will concentrate on the areas that NAB are different from competitors.

1. If you are a product owner/PM or developer the main issue with the work environment is the large amount of tech debt in the majority of IT systems the bank runs on. If you are a youngish developer, this will hamper your growth as you will be fixing issues from architecture decisions that were made in the 90's or keeping off the shelf software running. I guess 50-60% of worker productivity is consumed this way. Very little original code is written, and while there are some efforts to embrace cloud or infrastructure as code, these are small efforts in the total bank IT department. 

2. To offset the tedious work, the salary and benefits are excellent. Though some would argue the cost of booze and therapy will not cover the gains.

3. Mid level managers will throw IT staff under the bus if it boosts their careers. You have been warned. 

Most of these observations could apply to most banks, as the neobank surge has been bought out and co-opted by the big-4 banks. There are few differences in tech infrastructure/work culture in banks in Australia.  

This workplace exceeded beyond my expectations as I was amazed by the environment. It's creative with futuristic elements that motivate you to come to work. There are many different departments within the workplace and each are interrelated which allow different ideas to be shared in to ensure the company is producing the best for their customers.  During this program students were separated into classes with students from around Melbourne which allowed us to communicate and interact with new people. The program allowed the students to spend time with their NAB mentors and ask questions, as well as receive advice about each aspect of the working field to assist us in our near future. We were required to go into the busy streets of Melbourne and interview the public about what success means to them. From this information, each group created a short film presentation to staff and students involved in the program. Through this program, I've become confident which allows me to approach people and assist them best I can, my ability to use technology has advanced, I've gained knowledge about the field, I'm able to assist in decision making and share my ideas.

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