Thinking about joining CBA? A few things I wish I’d known about the culture
I’ve been at CBA for a while and wanted to share a side of the culture that doesn’t really come through during recruitment. Just my 2c based on my own time here, but hopefully useful for anyone considering an offer, especially if you come from a different cultural background or don’t naturally fit the dominant mould.
CBA says all the right things about diversity and inclusion. But on the ground in several areas I’ve worked with, the reality is pretty different.
A lot of teams end up completely siloed. You generally see two extremes: teams dominated by one tight-knit cultural group where informal networks and closed-door conversations dictate everything, or traditional old-school boys’ clubs. In either case, if you’re outside that core demographic, you feel it very quickly.
The hiring dynamic was probably the biggest frustration.
In multiple areas, there's a strong trend of managers funneling people from specific backgrounds, former companies, or personal circles straight into open roles. One hire brings another, and before long, an insular circle is established. It’s subtle enough that each individual hire can easily be justified on paper, but the broader pattern is impossible to ignore.
Naturally, the in-group backs each other in meetings, distributes the high-visibility projects internally, and pushes each other for promotions. If you’re outside that circle, getting visibility or moving up is an uphill battle, regardless of performance.
Office politics and social alignment also carry way more weight than actual output. And raising concerns about workload, exclusion, or unfair dynamics rarely leads anywhere positive—more often, you just get labelled difficult or "not a culture fit."
I know CBA is massive and there are definitely great managers and inclusive pockets around. But looking back, I really wish someone had told me to dig much deeper into team composition before signing.
If you’re currently interviewing, ask direct questions about team turnover, where recent hires came from, and how long the manager has worked with their direct reports. The answers, and how comfortable they seem answering them will tell you everything you need to know.
For anyone who’s worked across different BUs at CBA, was your experience similar, or is this heavily team-dependent?