I am used to. I can't say it's just Wells Fargo. I have worked with a few of their competitors and it was the same thing.
It's nothing like spending all day with coworkers that you care about and vice versa. WFH has shown me that I don't miss any of my coworkers because they are disengaging.
I must admit that I probably need to work at a smaller company. You just don't get the friendly vibe at larger banks. I'm here two years.
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100% true. The group I worked in (recently left) was a cutthroat, back-biting environment that left me exhausted and mentally drained each day.
My new team is the exact opposite. Everyone is willing to pitch in, no one is crawling to take credit for work that isn't theirs and leadership is incredibly supportive of employees and the fact that we also have lives outside of work.
In my group, before the pandemic, we had forced socializing. Once or twice a month there would be an email invite to an after- work happy hour, and dog help you if you didn’t act happy, gather round the boss with your beer, and breathlessly listen to him talk about himself.
Don’t miss it.
Wells Fargo is certainly a family atmosphere - a dysfunctional and abusive family atmosphere.
Seems to me it more depends on your group vs company (culture). I can’t name anyone in my 14 person group I wouldn’t be willing to do something after work with and several I’m sure I would enjoy time with. Granted actual experience can change that mindset. And this is subjective overall, if you simply want to go to work and remain isolated that doesn’t generally turn out well in my experiences. And clearly at most employers showers/talkers get the bulk of praise/remuneration/etc simply because they are known vs being an actual performer. Full disclosure, I am and always have been full time WFH here at Wells but I generally shoot for a middle of the road situation of mostly separating work and play. But when you spend 1/3 of your day or more with people it’s not unheard of to form a friendship.
It was a culture shock for me when I joined the firm because I was used to a family atmosphere. I got used to it after a few years and now I can't imagine what it is like to work in the friendly environment anymore.
biz+19OQPbkt, I agree with you but sometimes you're invited to go out with coworkers after hours and it's uncomfortable because you don't have a rapport with any of them because they're aloof.
I like to keep a separation, as well but when you're invited to go out with the group, it feels forced and I end up going but hate it.
Actually I thought it felt that way until Stumpf left and they then seemed to go the corporate route that so many other banks are taking. One thing I used to like about WF was they were the opposite of places like Chase. Now they want to be like them and employees are lesser for it.
This is one of those subjective / personal preference kinds of things. Personally, I don't want to be friends with people at work. I just want to work, and I'll socialize outside the work place. I've always been that way–I like to keep those 2 worlds as separate as possible. Doesn't mean that I don't like a good productive team, I just don't need to be drinking buddies with coworkers.