Vantaggi
Nice people to work with and the canteen is very good. The benefits package is quite good. Good facilities for cyclists, runners etc. You can learn a lot to begin with depending on the department you're in.
Svantaggi
There can be excessive unpaid overtime - not suitable for anyone in a relationship and/or with children. Showing ability or talent can be to your detriment as a lot more responsiblity and expectations are put on you without being promoted to that level or getting any remuneration or recognition for it. Their pay structure is very poor. Salaries are very low and there's little opportunity for promotion. We've had zero pay rise for the last two years. Not even a pay rise to match inflation, nothing, a big fat 0. This was despite doing good work and working unpaid overtime that cut losses and expanded our capacity to take on more business. Furthermore bonuses are extremely low. I got a "Above and Beyond Award" and a "Street's Ahead Award", which was nice. A pat on the back is always appreciated but never seems to be converted to any form Their elaborate appraisal system is fundamentally flawed. It penalises those who excel and encourages below average efforts. At the annual appraisal, an employee is given a score from 1 - 5 depending on their performance, however a manager is not allowed to give any score other than a 3 (average). There are a very limited number of 2s and 4s to give out across the board, thereby the distribution of scores fits a tight distribution curve. This means that those who perform well above their remit exceeding all their performance goals are give a rating of average rather than good or excellent, while those who are below par are also given a rating of average. The result is that those who put in the effort are disheartened and demoralised, and employees generally start to disengage from the whole process. Performance review time in State Street is not a happy time. Not a career but a job. Career progression is woefully lacking. A colleague said to me, "State Street is a place where careers come to die". Unfortunately there's a large element of truth to what he/she said.