escrow assistant

regional vice president

records specialist

manager

escrow officer

Old Republic International

A typical day as an Authorization Agent is spent talking on the phone with both plan holders such as Home Owners; renter; and Project Managers, and Contractors that are either within or outside of the umbrella of preferred contractors.  Usually you try to keep the prices down so that good work is performed for the least cost to the company.  Plan Holders often call in with complains about quality of work and/or the quality of the contractor sent out, resulting in your trying to placate the upset caller in the quickest time while remaining professional.

What I learned is a set of skills for handling difficult people that often have a real right to be upset and sometimes have very high expectations.  What else I learned is that following by the rules and doing the procedures to a T is not always the best policy and will not always result in promotion or reward.  In fact, recognizing what the company cares most about, in this case calls per hour, will result in better circumstances and more opportunities. 

The management was very helpful and patient.  They were always willing to sit down and work with you, but they wanted to do so efficiently.  In short, the management team was Excellent.

The co-workers were mostly awesome as well.  The teams were especially close-knit, almost like a family.  Outside the teams you were likely to make a few friends and associate with members of different departments.  However, there were a few "bad" associates that were rumored to be rude, drop calls, skip steps, etc., resulting in you picking up the slack and suffering for their wanted to increase their calls per hour.  This was unfortunately reinforced by the practice that whomever got the unfinished business afterwards not only had to deal with an upset individual on the phone, but they also had to take the extra time to do the extra work.  This is really the hardest part of the job, because it is seen as a minor point by management and the consequences for leaving the job unfinished are very minor and won't impact advancement.  Instead, if doing so makes you look better, frequently leaving extra work for the next person is rewarded.

The Most enjoyable part of the day is your team.  As stated above, the teams are close-knit.  And since all the members usually endure the same situations, having fun conversations about them helps relieve the stress of the day.  The management will often join in, but also make sure every stays professional and productive.

Management- As I am in management I can say, like most employers, management style does not suit my expectations. Management is a "punishment" style: do ten things right and nobody mentions it. Do one thing wrong and you're position is threatened. I don't feel employees are appreciated here. Its a revolving door for employees. Majority of the staff are temps (around 70%), therefor you run into the renter type mentality. Management does not celebrate the employees and employees are not motivated.

Co-workers- Co workers are great. Very friendly amongst themselves. There is however a hierarchy. Upper management does not interact much with the commons. Although the President of the company seems friendly and has an office which is "always open". I have never taken him up on this offer. 

Hardest part- staying motivated and mentally stimulated enough to not explore other job opportunities, but alas here I am. The job itself is quite easy. The difficulty is dealing with the lack of communication between clients, upper management and the employees as far as what is expected. Also, strictly from an auditor position, we simply are not afforded the tools to review to the standards our sales people sold our clients on. Consistently we are overworked and take more products than we can handle in the expected time frame. Which results in a poor quality product which then results in discipline. The cycle will always continue as upper management has no real incentive to improve (comfort kills creativity), also the fear of trying something new and risking losing their job is too high. High risk, little reward.

Most enjoyable- When the shift is over.

No appreciation, no bonuses, no work from home or telecommute allowed, few perks unless you call basic insurance a perk, which they cut back on most every year.  1960's dress code.  Women and minorities are not valued.  They do not want to hear your voice, input or opinions.  Opposite of a team climate.
 
 Just less than 2 years ago they started allowing women to wear skirts without pantie hose.  Prior to 2017 you would be called in to HR or sent home without hose.  Yes really.  
No child care or maternity benefits except basic maternity leave.  
Health insurance benefits reduce almost yearly (co-pays went from $10, to $20, to $30 and climbing).  We pay more for prescriptions, lab work, doctor visits, etc. as years pass.  Why?  The company is thriving financially, stocks doing well, and Trump gave companies a huge tax break...$Millions of dollars back in their pockets yet they do not pass a penny to employees who keep the company running every day.  And, it is costing employees more and more to survive in this economy--inflation, etc.

They made us come in during the 2019 Polar Vortex.  Downtown Chicago was a ghost town.  Everything was closed.  It was literally  -25 degrees, but this company expected everyone to report to work every day.  Many companies closed for 3 days, most every company closed for 1-2 days.  Even the banks closed.  The courts canceled all the hearings.  But Old Republic?  Open for business.  Ironically most of the executives were in Florida during the Vortex.  They were asked if we could close for at least 1 day, the -25 degree day.   Answer, "No."   Many cars won't start when it's 0 degrees, much less -25 degrees.  We had pregnant mothers limping in.  Some people had to take cabs they could not afford, and get babysitters for their kids out of fear of being fired or docked pay if they did not report to work. 

Other than this, a great place to work.

I started the job with no experience in being an administrative assistant or working in a call center. They will hire anyone with people skills and a high school diploma. 
In the beginning of your employment,they have you in a new hire class that teaches you everything you need to know for the job and once you are tested on the knowledge and pass, you are given a small raise and are promoted from temp, to a full-time employee.
All of the new information they teach you is overwhelming at first but the job gets easier and easier every day.
The hardest part of the job could be time management, if you're that type of person - or it could be the fact that you have to remain professional and level headed when speaking to home owners & technicians. The best part of the job for me was when you would receive a compliment from a customer that is genuinely grateful for the work that you did in their claim. 
OHRP's workplace culture is wonderful. They really make everyone feel like they're part of a giant family. The engagement team does a great job with coming up with company wide activities and they are constantly treating their employees to either a catered meal or unknown gift many times every month.
The president of the company is very involved and is always looking for ways to make ORHP better for everyone - she has her office on the campus so you will run into her often.
Not only does ORHP have great benefits, it also has many opportunities for growth within the company, they will almost always prefer to hire within.
Lastly they pay really well, and will allow you to work towards raises often. & did I say they will work with your schedule?!

The corporate recruiter contacted me to see if I was interested in going to work for the company. I was happy with the company I was working for, so I politely declined. A week later the company's corporate recruiter called me again, offered me more and boasted how great the division they wanted me to work for was. I agreed to a formal interview in their regional office. A couple weeks later the interview went well. The HR department took several days to compose the necessary paperwork for the offer. An offer letter was eventually sent to me. A few days had passed, and I had not signed the offer letter. Divisional managers were calling me at night to welcome me to the company and they told me that I was going to love working here. I signed the offer letter 2 days later and sent it to the HR department. 

When I started there, I was well received and I was told that everyone and everything was great in this division. A few weeks later is when reality hit. My job scope was expanded without even mentioning it to me. HR was a nightmare to deal with, getting anything from them in an email or even a phone call from them was rare. When HR wants something from you, they get all over you with emails, but when you need something from them, they don't care about you, because you already work there. A few months before I had started with the company, about 2/3rds of the division's staff had quit and walked out within 2 days. No one I had interviewed with had mentioned this to me, HR most definitely did not inform me of this.  My quality of life was much better at my previous company.

Old Republic Title is a very, very good company to work for, excellent really. I am speaking primarily of the Honolulu, Oahu island, Hawaii location; although I've seen company culture interaction on the mainland U.S., and the positive, professional culture appears relatively widespread, ingrained. I would not have left if I was not moving to another country. It was a wonderful place to work. Everyone was professional, took pride in their work, afforded you respect and consideration, and if you needed help, there was follow through. I do not believe I have worked with a staff that was so kind. Customer service is "in the blood" so to speak. I made graphics for staff and realtors, so technically the job should have been stressful. I do not think it was a stress that would harm your health. I enjoyed my work. My immediate manager in Client Services, the branch senior VP and human resources are, in my humble opinion, really warm, friendly folks that simply want you to be your best so you can perform your best. I had one colleague that was a master of all tasks and he was invaluable to my success there as well. Very humble, willing to mentor. As such, it was my personal mandate to do my job well for these folks and my colleagues. I felt that my job here taught me what working in a company should be, e.g., positive, light, fun, respectful, team oriented. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have worked there. This is my honest review, although it sounds shilly. By all means, do your research as to if the company is really a fit for you, but, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I love working for Old Republic Title, Company.  They are a company that treats you like family, not just an employee. They appreciate their employees not just by telling us, but showing us. A typical day at work involves me making coffee for the entire office and our clients that will come and go throughout the day. As the day goes by I will answer phones, direct the clients to the right people and fill the copy and fax machines with paper. I upload and print prelims, then distribute them to the proper escrow officer and file them into their proper escrow folders. When a new order comes in it is sometimes given to me to open using our Enstep escrow database program, along with a JCP report and Cover Protection Letter required by the lenders, by separate companies. Many clients will come in during the day that have appointments to sign escrow documents and make financial deposits. I assign them to a conference room, set them up with any kind of drink they would like, and/or take their deposits and give them a receipt. Once an escrow closes a copy of pertinent documents are scanned and made into a disc which then sent to me to then mail to all participating parties.  There are many other tasks that I do through out the day that I do to help support four escrow officers and six escrow assistants if they seem to be overwhelmed or need help.  The hardest part of the day is my three hour commute.  The most enjoyable part of my day is when I am able to learn new things so that I can help someone else get their work done sooner so that they can have a stress free work day.

This review is on Old Republic Home Protection in San Ramon. 

If your looking for a “just a job” until the right one comes around, then go for it. Call Center Agents make decent “get by” money and it can be fun if you land on the right team.  Perfect opportunity for recent high school graduates, college students who are looking to make some cash and still have a balance between work and studies.

However, if your a professional and looking for your next career move, NO! This is not the place. The overall culture here is toxic, very toxic. Leadership is inexperienced and lack a tremendous amount skills to be successful leaders. Most of the leaders have been with the company for a minimum of 10+ years and are very unaware of today’s business ethics. The company has a very high turnover rate and from what i can see, people don’t quit the job, they quit the leaders.  The Human Resources Department is vey unstable. I’ve been with the company for over 5 years and have seen a different HR person every year.  I don’t think majority of the leadership staff has an education above a high school diploma so they are not skilled in the areas in which they work, it’s more of a learn as you go vibe.  There is very little communication at all levels of the organization. They have a training department, but, training is inadequate. 

Again, i wouldn’t recommend to a professional who is looking to advance their career.  This place will set you back if anything. But it can be worth it for someone who is not experienced and looking to make some cash. 


If a new CEO took over the company the employees would probably be happier. HR is not reliable and 90% of the time doesn't respond to emails about benefit inquiries.
They don't pay a decent wage for retaining all the knowledge and tests they forced you to learn and take, strict attendance policy with things always changing without telling anyone
They force you to do more tasks and responsibilities but then don't raise ur pay, it's a thankless job
The management forces you to stay on the phone and get yelled at by customers even if they make you cry.
During some summers there would be an actual crying room for employees
If you are emotionally sensitive this is not the job for you, customers will be nasty and treat you horribly and if you stick up for yourself or talk back you will be fired.
They have people hired to listen to all your phone calls.

Everyone is just a number here and everyone has a ranking and a score on how they're doing and how they stack up against everyone else

Good benefits, but terrible place to work, hopefully the CEO will step down soon and someone else who cares more about the employees will step in

Old Republic is, in many regards, an old republic. The organization--if you want to call it that-- is behind in many aspects of their progression towards being profitable in areas including their technological platforms, standard operating platforms, training techniques, and overall workplace cultural development. For a company centered in the heart of Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, it would stick out like a sore thumb if its profile were truly published with the feedback from active employees. For a company that has been in business for 30 years, you would expect more. 

As an Authorization Agent, a typical day consists of dealing consistently with PC problems (i.e. slow downs, crashes, etc), and when using the PC is a vital part of your role, it makes for inaccurate productivity metrics which is what your performance is based on. The processes involved in documenting calls from plan holders and service providers are redundant in may aspects. There is a slew of Authorization Agents that are praised, rewarded, and recognized for their ability to hit their 'numbers', all in the sake of compromising and disregarding the needs of most important factor of the equation: the customer.

This is a perfect company to work for if you have no ambition and don't mind fixing others' problems with no reward or recognition. Most enjoyable part of the job: Walking out of the front door at 5pm every day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Escrow assistant 24 salaries reported	$30.57 per hour
Regional vice president 27 salaries reported	$240,741 per year
Records specialist 9 salaries reported	$21.11 per hour
Manager 16 salaries reported	$178,125 per year
Escrow officer 4 salaries reported	$37.91 per hour

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