14 Pros and Cons of Working for American Express

American Express is one of the world’s most widely known financial services companies that offer:

  • Credit Card Services 
  • Financial Services 
  • Personal Loans
  • Business Loans
  • Banking Accounts
  • Savings Accounts 

About American Express

  • Primary Business Line: Financial Services
  • Estimated Annual Revenue: #36.1 Billion 
  • Number of Global Employees: 64,000

Corporate Headquarters Information
Address: 200 Vesey Street
Phone: 212-640-2000
Website: https://www.americanexpress.com
Career Site for Jobseekers: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/careers/

What Job Does American Express Hire For?

Customer Service – American Express is known for providing top-tier customer service.

They hire customer service professionals to provide front-line support to individuals, companies, and institutions who need help managing their financial accounts. 

Finance – As a finance-based company these positions are key hires for AMEX.

Finance professionals include accountants, financial analysts, accountants, and auditors who keep track of the company’s global transactions and customer accounts. 

Human Resources – HR professionals are an integral part of the AMEX team that recruits, hires, and provides key employee assistance services for new hires and existing employees at the company.

They are responsible for pay, benefits, compensation packages, and employee development services. 

Legal – The legal team at American Express is responsible for keeping the company decision-makers abreast of legal policies and procedures the company must follow.

A team of lawyers, paralegals, and other legal professionals represent protected individuals in court and advise them of their legal rights.  

Marketing – American Express marketing professionals promote products, services, and important company events and provide social media updates to the public about the relevant happenings at the company.

Marketing pros at AMEX create targeted campaigns to attract and retain clients, employees and source talent. 

Risk Management – Risk management professionals assess potential financial risks that could cost the company money.

These financial assessors use data analysis, historical data, and current trends to identify risky opportunities and mitigate the potential risk for the company. 

What are the Pros of Working for American Express? 

1. Perks and Benefits

Current American Express and previous company employees leave positive reviews of AMEX’s perks and benefits.

Their employees have access to perks like paid time off and retirement savings plans that help them secure their financial futures.

These financial perks and benefits are one of the main reasons people choose to work for one of America’s longest-running and far-reaching financial institutions.

Looking forward to a steady and fair paycheck keeps many of AMEX’s employees excited to be a part of their prestigious financial team. 

2. Employee Development 

Like many multinational corporations with employees worldwide, American Express emphasizes employee development and provides several routes for advancement.

They offer on-the-job training, formal training opportunities, and tuition reimbursement options for current employees who want to further their careers.

Employees who are seeking to further their careers can take advantage of job shadowing and leadership training to prepare for more challenging roles within the company. 

3. Comprehensive Insurance 

Many companies allow employees to add medical coverage for themselves and their dependents as a benefit.

For example, American Express gives its employees the option for comprehensive insurance coverage for medical, dental, and vision.

Having access to affordable insurance is an important must-have on many employees’ job search lists.

Satisfied employees say they are happy with the comprehensive options they get to choose from when they work for American Express. 

4. Inclusive Culture

American Express fosters an inclusive culture for employees of all cultures and backgrounds.

In addition, their employee assistance program helps put employees in touch with services and benefits that help promote their development and improve their work-life balance.

Working in an environment where they feel seen, heard, and respected keeps many AMEX employees loyal to the company for years. 

5. On-Site Wellness Centers

AMEX employees working in their on-campus locations have access to free onsite fitness and wellness centers where they can relax and unwind on breaks, lunches, and downtime.

In addition, the company culture has several health and wellness programs that promote well-being for their at-home and on-campus employees.

Employees feel valued when they can take time to destress without having to leave work and commute to offsite fitness centers. 

6. Flex Time 

One of the many perks of working for American Express is their flex time for employees.

American Express’s new flexible working program was designed to help employees achieve a greater work-life balance.

The Amex Flex program allows employees to work on campus, at home, or on hybrid work schedules.

This flexible working arrangement is one of AMEX’s new policies implemented after COVID that seems to be working out well and providing greater flexibility for hybrid employees who can work from home or take advantage of in-office perks. 

7. Global Leadership Training

American Express helps set its employees up for success by allowing them to participate in its global leadership training programs.

These programs are designed to enable employees to explore new potential career paths and job shadow other AMEX employees already working in the roles and positions they seek. 

What are the Cons of Working at American Express? 

While many American Express employees report the perks and love working for the company, there are others that have specific concerns.

Below is an overview of 7 cons of working at American Express based on employee reviews from verified job search sites Indeed and Glassdoor. 

1. High Anxiety Workplace

Several current and former AMEX employees provided public reviews about working in a high-pressure, numbers-driven environment.

With the company heavily invested in the financial services industry, the pressure for employees to meet KPIs and sales quotas can be extremely high. 

2. Payment Concerns

Many employees of American Express report issues with being paid a fair wage for the work they provide.

Entry-level employees say the base salary at the company is low, and their wages only showed signs of improvement as they rose through the company ranks. 

3. Management Issues 

Although AMEX promotes an inclusive culture to support its employees, many employees report management issues on public review sites like Indeed and Glassdoor.

These reports say that members of management are inept and show favoritism towards employees while preventing others from advancing. 

4. Training issues

Along with low base pay and potential management issues, some American Express employees have expressed concerns with conflicting training materials.

These employees say they are regularly trained on materials and processes that upper management frequently changes or ignores. 

5. Lack of Advancement Opportunities

Another primary employee concern at AMEX is the apparent need for advancement opportunities.

Many employees report being hired with the option of advancing to a higher-paying position with more responsibilities and have yet to be offered the chance to move to a higher position. 

6. Numbers Driven Environment

While American Express offers its employees various opportunities to destress and unwind, current and former employees say the company is primarily a numbers-driven environment.

As a result, they say the company puts meeting KPIs above the needs of the employees most of the time. 

7. Leadership Cliques

Long-term and new employees of AMEX report issues with favoritism and being overlooked for opportunities because of the many “leadership cliques” within the company.

These employees report a “high-school-like” environment where promotions, bonuses, and preferred shifts are often based more on “who” you know than what you’ve accomplished while working for the company. 

14 Pros and Cons of Working for American Express – Summary Table

What are the Pros of Working for American Express?What are the Cons of Working at American Express?
1. Perks and Benefits1. High Anxiety Workplace
2. Employee Development2. Payment Concerns
3. Comprehensive Insurance3. Management Issues
4. Inclusive Culture4. Training issues
5. On-Site Wellness Centers5. Lack of Advancement Opportunities
6. Flex Time6. Numbers Driven Environment
7. Global Leadership Training7. Leadership Cliques

Should You Work for American Express?

Thinking about working for American Express? There are a few factors to consider.

People who are interested in working in the financial services industry often consider working at AMEX because of its global reach and multinational business lines. 

The company has a track record of success in providing credit card services worldwide.

While many employees of the company enjoy working there, there are also employees that say the high-pressure work environment and lack of advancement opportunities aren’t worth the headache. 

The best way to decide if working at American Express is best for you is to do independent research based on your career preferences. 

Read employee reviews to get a feel for the AMEX culture and decide if working in their high productivity and numbers-driven environment is a good fit for you. 

If you find that you and Visa are a great fit after completing your research, visit the company jobs website to search for open jobs around the world. 

Jamie Willis
Career Specialist at BecomeopediaHi, my name is Jamie Willis, and I have been helping students find their perfect internships and education paths for the last ten years. It is a passion of mine, and there really is nothing better than seeing students of mine succeed with further studies.

One thought on “14 Pros and Cons of Working for American Express

  1. Gentian Cadraku says:

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