A company in transition - Pension Actuary WTW Employee Review

4.0
May 8, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Legacy TW had a good reputation among clients for producing high-quality work. I saw high standards for work quality. I also met amazing colleagues. Very quickly, I became proficient in analytical tools. I also learned a tremendous amount about retirement plans (particularly traditional defined benefit pension plans).

Cons

This company is in transition. The truth is that traditional defined benefit pension plans are declining in the US and in many places in the rest of the world. Long-term, most people expect a decline in revenue from the core TW retirement business, in part because legislation and taxation been unkind to pension plans. The retirement practice was siloed from the rest of the company, so it was exceedingly difficult to transition into another line of business. I always thought retirement actuaries were very cliquish and spoke in too much jargon. It probably is an exciting company to work at if you are in health benefits/exchange. Senior management has steered the company in the direction of brokerage services/healthcare, which I think is probably a good decision. They definitely took risk to do this by merging with Willis, which serves mainly small and mid-sized clients in the US (and was highly leveraged). I got the sense when I was there that senior management quietly let attrition occur among mid-level employees in retirement, which given the long-term outlook of the business, is probably the right decision. Just be careful before taking a job in a core business at Willis Towers Watson if it is in a revenue-declining segment. This is true of retirement, but might also be true of other lines such as risk and financial services.

Explore other reviews about WTW

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful, intelligent colleagues, very collaborative, interesting work, lots of opportunity to move around the org

Cons

Risk averse so it’s slower to invest; penny wise but often pound foolish

2.0
Mar 28, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Work is challenging - Benchmarking and survey data provides value - Can build a large network across employers, vendors and carriers

Cons

- "Merit" or annual pay increases are often less than annual Federal cost of living adjustments to address inflation. I have earned less every year I remain at WTW. - If promoted, raise is combined with "merit" and dilutes both amounts. I've never heard of one person being satisfied with merit + promotion salary increase. If anything, this is the final trigger to seek employment elsewhere. - High billable rates paired with higher execution/client satisfaction expectations yet overall pay/comp don't reflect it. Internal systems and process distract from productivity and impact. - Limited to no investment in training and development outside of internal webinars - Always hear "our people are the difference" yet it doesn't feel like that when it comes to total comp, professional development, and systems/tools that make sense - After 7 years, burnout is high amongst colleagues and I personally can't imagine many more anniversaries. Many high-performing, valued colleagues have left in last 12 months

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