Pros
The recruitment process was fair, relaxed and transparent. Whilst I was not successful for the role I had initially applied for, they did what most companies who say they'll keep your cv on file fail to do. They actually contacted me back within days and asked me to come in for an informal chat with a manager about a different role. Aviva seem to bend over backwards to get the right people on board, even if they had been initially unsucessful. The Aviva of 8 or so years ago probably would not have done this. Whilst a lot of the IT systems are still very much outdated on the front-end, there has been a lot of investment in the few years I have been away to create modern interface tools to simplify the end-user experience. Overall the systems are now about as easy to use as other insurers I have worked with. There is a lot of flexibility in certain business areas to choose a full-time working pattern that fits with personal/family commitments. Whilst you can still work 9-5 if you choose, you can for instance, choose a pattern of 3 x 12 hour shifts per week, leaving 4 days off. This is pure gold for people with families and seems to be very popular. There is a big emphasis now on customer experience. Every member of staff has equality of opinion as far as systems and processes go. If you feel something can be done better for the good of the customers, you are actively encouraged to let it be known.
Cons
Naturally due to the size of the company, there are a number of layers to the organisational structure. As such, it can be difficult to see immediate effects of feedback both to and from management. I haven't been back with Aviva to make specific comparisons with prior experience, however it must be said that any huge company will have some communication issues with staff.