Claim they want outsiders for diverisity of thought, but never truly accept them - Senior Manager Selective Insurance Employee Review

1.0
Apr 19, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Visibility to senior management. Exposure to many departments/business lines. Variety in the type of work assigned.

Cons

Hired from another insurance company with promises of being able to bring new ideas and processes to the table. However, on day 1 was told to leave those things at the door. Never fully accepted as one of the team and still considered "Not Selective" after four years. Work/Life balance was touted by upper management, but direct supervisor was opposed to any level flexibility. Hours are 8 - 4, but leaving at 4 branded you a slacker or not busy enough. Work from home days were actively discouraged at all levels of management. Average work week was 60+ hours, with no recognition or appreciation of that time. HR was a joke, protecting the "lifers" and helping promote a hostile work environment. Salary and bonuses were significantly less than competitor pay packages.

Explore other reviews about Selective Insurance

5.0
Apr 17, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong but difficult leadership during transformation.

Cons

Relocation causing some some concern

2
1.0
May 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent benefits and decent coworkers

Cons

Working at Selective was a toxic work environment shaped by favoritism, excessive workload expectations, and poor boundaries around employee availability. Management often applied expectations unevenly, which created a lack of fairness and accountability. High performance did not always seem to be the primary factor in decision-making, which undermined trust in leadership. There was also a strong “big fish, small pond” dynamic, where internal status and informal influence often carried more weight than actual performance or collaboration. This contributed to a highly political environment where trust between colleagues was limited and information did not always feel safe to share openly. Employees were expected to be available far beyond normal working hours, creating an unsustainable “always on” culture with no real work-life balance. The workload was consistently too high for the compensation provided. Internal politics further interfered with day-to-day work and made collaboration more difficult than it needed to be. In practice, this environment often encouraged self-preservation over teamwork, which made it difficult to build trust or rely on others consistently. Overall, the environment was not structured in a way that supported long-term employee wellbeing or retention. This is not a workplace that supports a healthy work-life balance. For me, the experience felt unsustainable, and over time it became clear that the environment was not conducive to long-term growth or wellbeing.

2
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