HSBC

It's a recognized name and looks good on the CV. The opportunities for renewal are good (I was a contractor). You can work there as long as you want, providing you are competent. The money is quite good but not the best to be had.

The place just has a really stuffy atmosphere. There is generally no impetus to get things done or go about self-improvement amongst permanent employees.

There is no common vision of delivering a good product on time and in budget amongst employees. I kind of get the feeling they think it's a right to work there and that they can get money for just turning up to work without actually delivering anything.

It's a pretty depressing atmosphere at 8 Canada Square, and the air conditioning (or lack of a decent one thereof) tends to get people down. I personally have not worked at a place I found more depressing and generally soul-destroying. This is a great shame.

You must really instill passion amongst employees and get their buy-in to both themselves (i.e., self-improvement and career promotional prospects) and projects (i.e., outline the business need in clear terms and make them understand why it's being done).

I would remove deadwood regularly and adopt a more agile style of development.