Pros
As the Society is relatively small in headcount, everybody is very supportive and friendly, always happy to help and work together to get things done. The Society has big ambitions which makes it a really exciting and diverse place to work, with every day bringing different challenges and new learning opportunities. The Society stays true to its roots as a mutual and really does seem to put the interests of its members at the heart of all it does, which makes it a really rewarding place to work. There is a growing ED&I agenda within the Society, which already fosters a very inclusive and accepting environment, but it's great to see management recognising the importance and value of different voices and perspectives and championing these differences. Finally, there's a real focus on encouraging and enabling a healthy work/life balance for employees, which is a very welcome change from cultures of "presenteeism" which can exist in other organisations.
Cons
As the Society has a smaller headcount, there are fewer opportunities to progress than in other, larger financial services organisations. The benefits package could be improved, e.g. increased PMI coverage, more flexibility on holiday benefits. You can't sign up to the "buy 5" holiday benefit until the December after you've joined, so can't access this during your first holiday year, which is a shame. The Society is also making conscious improvements to its feedback culture and performance management cycles, which I think will help improve the employee experience.