member services representative

personal banker

bookkeeper

bank officer

Alterna-Savings

Great work life balance and supportive coworkers. Lots of financial benefits - pension / benefits / better rates for investments and loans / mortgages / bonuses. Our manager likes to have friendly competitions which make things fun.
Broad spectrum of opportunity as the financial industry has many different branches to specialize in and management supports and encourages growth and learning by regularly reviewing goals and making plans to help you achieve them.
Very organized with different departments and has open lines of communication between departments which are mostly virtual as Alterna is growing substantially and has various locations in Ontario. Company is also socially responsible and cutting edge when it comes to supporting individuals and their dreams (black entrepreneurs/ cannibas industry / micro financing small business and is always expanding these opportunities for members. An employer you can be proud to work for if you value corporate social responsibility.
The job itself is demanding. It is fast paced with frequent disruptions. You need to be adaptable to change and good at problem solving. There is alot to learn but if you don't know everything, there are supports in place to find the answer. It's a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn and challenge themselves or is looking for a job that can become a career.

I had worked for a bank in the past and absolutely loved it therefor I thought Alterna would be a great fit. I was so, so wrong! From my first week of training at Alterna I had to drag myself into work every day. The training was way below sub-par and borderline unacceptable. The trainer lacks ANY and ALL training/people skills. During training (which is supposed to be 2 and a half weeks of training then two weeks on the phone and then again back in training class) ended up being 4 weeks and at the end the only thing we had learned was the trainers personal life. 
Then once you are on the phones, you are constantly told and reminded of everyone who is there to help you however when you reach out for help they act as if you are a huge bother.

I strongly advise against applying for any positions within this company. Unless you enjoy being walked all over and not have any of your efforts/hard work noticed.

Horrible place to work. Forced to make calls to their members. Pressures staff to make sales.  Management, especially certain branches are all competing at being number one at all cost. I worked at  branch and was constantly bullied by the manager. She would turn other staff members against you if you did not agree with her. She would lie to your face and twist everthing you said to her advantage.They play favorites. Some staff got away with everything.while some othetd were constantly being threatened or  harassed .
 My manager would not speak or address me to for days if she was angry at you for whatever reasone.  And HR is not helpful to solving conflicts. They are never on the side of the staff.  Constantly talked bad about members. Especially those you are poor.with no money to invest. And the managers all gossip against each other to the staff.

I almost feel bad for people who decide to switch from a bank to a CU. Unfortunately we just don't have the same technology and infrastructure to compete in the evolving retail banking market. It seems like with Alterna that too many mergers and system upgrades have turned this company into a confused and inefficient place to bank and work. I don't know many people in retail finance who are satisfied with their work and look forward to coming into the office everyday, there is no exception here with Alterna. Management pressures and bullies employees into ranking them higher than they deserve on their employee surveys but most people will tell you that they don't really like working here. If you are considering taking a job with Alterna I would recommend that you work somewhere else if you have a choice. And switch to a different career if you are considering retail banking. Good luck.

Management provided all the resources and tools needed to get the job done, even on demand. Coaching from management was very forthcoming and the lessons provided were invaluable.

There was a very good work environment among the co-workers, team work was an essential part of everyday work as one member would help the other to achieve goals which in turn would benefit the whole.

I learned how to work as an effective team member, to enhance my listening and writing skills while providing exemplary customer service.

The hardest part of the job was not being able to help and please everyone. There were times when you providing positive advice and information to customers and was not received in a positive light. However when customers accepted advise and information with positivity it benefitted them greatly, which was the most enjoyable part of the job.

I wasted a few months here.  During the interview, they really pumped how much they don't micro-manage and how awesome and competent the people are.  After they bypassed numerous hiring steps I was in.  We had a welcome lunch... Nice... One guy stood out as friendly and sociable.. the next day they fired him... Welcome to the company?  Working with the shell shocked team,  I had my work cut out for me... as it turns out the people on my team only have these jobs because they didn't quit... they were all incompetent, except for one, who somehow was tolerant of doing everyone else's job.  Manger started to chase me around the office, when i went for a wee, coffee, help or ask for help.  and stood there eavesdropping on my conversation.  when he wasn't following me, he was teasing his hair or watching YouTube. I'm happy not to be there

My advice to you, keep looking.  Keep looking for something better.  This is not worth  your time and energy

Alterna is a great place to work if you want to work in the financial services industry where you have a clear mandate to do what is best for the member (client) and not what is best for your sales targets.  As with any company we need to grow our business and make money so yes there are goals but the goals are usually realistic and attainable.  We are small but mighty in comparison to a Big 5 Bank.  There are many opportunities for growth and movement with several head office locations and 48 branches.  As with anything things are not always perfect but Alterna operates on the premise of putting people first and for the most part I think we do that well most of the time.

Sadly I used to look at Alterna in a positive light. Having been there 7 years- over the years, with last department change in 2018, came management change. I felt unappreciated and very belittled by the manager. When requiring management actions on my files, it was made very clear my role was ranked of least importance in the department. Making it very hard for me to rectify matters with members. All in all, I felt so unwanted and unvalued at Alterna - It took a drastic toll on my personal life and left me in a very dark place. 

Alterna Savings is a member-facing financial institution. Even though Alterna operates in the same retail banking environment as the banks, there is less sales pressure. There is a heightened focus on member needs. My experience has been supportive and collaborative for the most part. As with any business, there is always a focus towards doing more with less which can get frustrating at times. I have met a lot of great friends here and would definitely recommend. Alterna has supported me in my personal career aspirations.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Friendly and supportive through and through They engage their employee through mentoring and continues learning 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working with the membership. They have high expectations of credit banking 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very supportive from all staff members 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
We work Monday to Friday with off week-end and schedule set 1 month ahead of time

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Member services representative 4 salaries reported	$44,250 per year
Personal banker 3 salaries reported	$55,000 per year
Bookkeeper 1 salary reported	$31.25 per hour
Bank officer 1 salary reported	$52,500 per year

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