Most threads are crying about RTO but branch employees have been back in the office fulltime for over a year, dealing with all the BS running downstream from corporate that they have no control over. New initiatives every week, new systems we’re supposed to learn but have no time to, new fire drills every month, last minute policy changes no one understands, never ending meetings, quantity of contacts over quality, no training, no support for green FCs (laying off all the green managers before TG2…REALLY?!), managers are trying but they’re stressed and checked out, bad managers are on power trips and micromanaging to death, everyone is leaving or planning to leave, and we’re also fighting for leads from idt, fsb, national branch, and independent branches. I feel bad for my BM but the engagement surgery is going to be bad. It’s not their fault but how else can we be real about how broken everything is? Honestly no one even cares, they’re just happy to let the good FCs go they can bring in new people and pay them less. Why would you even want to get promoted past a L1 FC? Please tell me more about how ROCA means I’m invested in the success of the firm. It’s insulting and disappointing. I’ve been around long enough to know this is t an accident. FCs and branches have been getting squeezed for years and if this is what “investing in our people” looks like then I’m out.
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Anyone else curious about Q2 earnings?
I see a reality in the not-so-distant future where there’s only one corporate owned branch inside our existing footprint. The only fulltime staff are managers, ICs, and CRSs. FCs would submit hotel requests for face-to-face client meetings.
Win for Schwab because they close down branches that haven’t recovered since the pandemic, trim the # of branch employees, and give greater incentives to IBLs (which pay Schwab for clients). Closing corporate centers was just the beginning IMHO.
@rmd+1nzs4FL7 - It's pretty close to a cult. Schwab sure tries to brainwash the employees. Anyone been around long enough to remember the Question Behind the Question book that went around? I said I'd read it if I could start my own brainwashing and pass around Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Also, what about having a best friend at work? Seems innocent but know, they figure you won't sc--w the company over as easily (taking sick days, checking out, quiet quitting kind of thing) because you could be screwing over your best friend. Same thing with the whole Schwamily cr-p. All brainwashing garbage, it's a job, it pays the bills. They pay us for our skills and time. Is your contractors for your home projects family? No.
Oh FFS stop crying. Don’t want to be at Schwab anymore? Leave! Just do it the right way and don’t sc--w anyone over on the way out. You can Schwoomerang back in once this nightmare is over. Plenty of examples of this throughout the company.
grabs popcorn
Gaslighting 101: Don’t believe what you see, hear, and know. There is lots of hiring happening with other firms, even if branch managers tell you otherwise.
None of the decisions being made make me feel good about being in the branch, make me feel like a “valued” member of the team, or make me hopeful about what Schwab will look like after the merger is complete. The messed up part is that I actually want to be here. I’m begging for a reason to stay but I think it’s only going to get worse. Every time branch leadership “sells” me on why everything is great, I’ve been d-mb enough to buy it and give Schwab the benefit of the doubt. I’ve created all these lines in the sand but cross them and let sh-t slide because I truly don’t want to leave.
Is this what leaving a cult feels like?
If work life balance is important to you don’t become a Schwab BM. Doesn’t matter how hard you work because it’s impossible to do everything your supposed to do, and do it well. There is no winning so people check out and become disengaged because they know it’s a waste of energy and effort otherwise.
If you enjoy learning through failure, disappointing leadership and your employees, and feeling frustrated all the damn time then this is the gig for you.
Yeah I feel bad for y'all too, seems like everyone is feeling the impact of dogshit EC decisions. I was thinking about going from SPCS to a branch but this makes me think twice about that. Guess I'll just leave Schwab completely.
My BM is nice but they’re new so the people they manage have to teach them how to do their job. I’m jealous of everyone who has a BM that’s been in that role for more than 5 years. It’s a different experience for their FCs and I bet the branch performance is better and more consistent.
Finally someone talked about how miserable branch life has been. I want to know who thought branch of the future was a good idea and decided that CRSs don’t need desks and can navigate TDA+Schwab systems on a tiny laptop. Biiiiiiiiiig waste of money $$$
So does corporate. They forget we’re the face of every asinine decision they make. Can’t keep clients if you keep losing good people.
I forget we even have branches.