No Work Life Balance - IT Specialist Wellmark Employee Review

2.0
9 Apr 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Benefits are mostly same as other DesMoines companies but Pension is a good perk. Wellness Center is awesome- Building is nice. Ramp is great and I feel safe walking to and from my car.

Cons

Pretty bad culture overall but especially in IT. Current CEO not much for work life balance. Doesn't trust anyone to work remotely. Some Leaders also don't trust and micromanage. Resources are stretched thin. Projects are estimated by Senior Leaders and all projects are stressful and chaotic trying to meet ridiculous timelines. It is extremely difficult working with 70% contractors/consultants. Long time knowledge has either left or laid off only to bring in more consultants or off shore workers replacing the full time employees. Full time employees have a hard time training consultants and off shore on top of doing the job of 3 employees. Developers are dropping like flies. Raises are minimal and not based on merit. Promotions go to the favorites regardless of skill. No value in current employees. IT management is courting a younger age group and they are the ones getting the perks-conferences and training. If you have been with the company for awhile you are old news. I grew up thinking that hard work paid off...it does not pay off here. People have to BEG for years for a promotion unless you are one of the employees who are favored and are in the spotlight. They move up FAST.

Explore other reviews about Wellmark

5.0
21 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This company lives by its mission. Truly working toward improving overall health of all Iowas and South Dakotans. Spearheading ongoing initiatives to reducing member burden, trying to fill in gaps where rural life creates access burdens, and being engaged with the community.

Cons

Slow change. Many processes created are not open to growth and evolution often being told, that’s how we set it up five years ago and it’s worked fine. Also, inclusive to an extent. There are times where if your beliefs do not align with the majority, specifically related to politics there are opportunities for improvement. As part of a diverse and value driven culture, it’s important to recognize not all beliefs are the same.

2.0
31 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

• Nice facility in the Des Moines office with a beautiful gym. • Strong mission and meaningful work that genuinely motivates many employees • Opportunities to work on complex, large-scale initiatives • Some leaders are supportive and open to collaboration

Cons

• Inconsistent people management and accountability across teams. • Repeated concerns raised by multiple employees are often minimized, which prevents issues from being addressed effectively • Limited follow-through when interpersonal or performance issues are escalated, impacting psychological safety. • SAFe has rollout faced significant challenges, and it created a lot of uncertainty. Many colleagues have expressed concerns about their job security. • Good old boys club on tech side of the house • Rigid RTO mandate has replaced flexibility with monitoring. Despite clear evidence that teams were productive remotely during COVID, time in office is now tracked and reported to execs, reinforcing optics over outcomes

3
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