Great Pitch, Hollow ESG Culture - Junior ESG Analyst 9fin Employee Review

1.0
Jul 6, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Exposure to the leveraged finance space and data-driven approaches to credit analysis. Some talented and well-meaning colleagues outside the ESG vertical who are generous with their knowledge and time. The potential to contribute to a growing fintech.

Cons

Micromanagement & nitpicking: The work environment, particularly within the ESG function, felt tightly controlled with little room for autonomy. Excessive focus on minor issues often overshadowed meaningful contributions. Lack of empathy: During a time of severe illness — later diagnosed as tuberculosis — I was met with comments from HR such as “How long will we wait for you?” rather than basic compassion. For a company operating in ESG, the disconnect between external messaging and internal culture was stark and painful. Emotionally immature leadership in ESG: A serious deficit of emotional intelligence within the ESG team’s leadership. Difficult conversations were handled poorly, and psychological safety was not prioritised. Repetitive work: Tasks often felt monotonous, with limited opportunities for creativity, ideation, or strategic thinking. Low impact and lack of inspiration: Despite the buzzwords, there is a vacuum when it comes to truly innovative thinking or visionary leadership. The ESG vertical, in particular, seemed performative rather than purposeful.

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9fin Response
11mo
Hi there, you have deleted your previous three reviews which expressed the same sentiment, so I will share the response I replied to you with last time, which reflects our position: I am sorry to hear that you feel this way about your experience with us. The health and wellbeing of our employees is something we take seriously, and we strive to support our team members during difficult times. While I cannot discuss individual circumstances in detail, I want to clarify that when employees face health challenges, we make every effort to provide appropriate support, including access to private health insurance and Employee Assistance Support. We always offer occupational health assessments to support smooth transitions back to work after long term sickness, these are always subject to employee agreement and we can't force individuals to participate in this process. The People team hold ourselves to very high standards when it comes to supporting employee health. In our most recent employee engagement survey we scored 89/100 for Balance & Wellbeing and are confident this reflects how we uphold our value of Family & Health Come First. I am confident in this case that the People team did everything possible to support you to rest, recover and return to work. I'm sorry to hear that you do not feel you received everything you needed. We appreciate all feedback and remain committed to fostering a supportive and understanding workplace for all employees. Liz - Head of People

Explore other reviews about 9fin

5.0
Dec 11, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

people centric, great culture, work life balance

Cons

nothing comes to mind at all

1
avatar
9fin Response
2y
Thank you for leaving us a review! I am thrilled that you have called out our people-centric approach and amazing culture. 2024 is going to be a huge year for us, and it is great to have you on board. Head of People
2.0
Feb 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Comprehensive benefits package in the US and mostly friendly office environment

Cons

Management is obsessed with rapid growth and is straying from the values that make this company a long-term winner. They expect unrealistic goals from staff while constantly changing strategies or not providing the tools they need to hit those goals, a problem across every team. It leaves individuals anxious that they will be fired for not being a superstar while strong contributors who remember the vibe before 2025 are looking to the exits. The amount of churn from both firings and voluntary departures puts people on edge. They can't perform as well when they feel they're one bad quarter or one dropped client away from the boot. The last few reviews on here are from managers saying the company has a good culture but the majority of non-managers (including me) would disagree. A culture of fear and pressure overtook optimism last year. Execs say they want open and honest candor but are dismissive of anything that doesn't resemble rocket ship emojis.

22
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9fin Response
2mo
Thanks for taking the time to share this - it’s clear you’ve put thought into it and care about 9fin and what we’re building. 9fin is ambitious, no doubt about that. We want to be the leading provider of debt market analytics and AI, this decade. That’s a big goal, and that brings pace, stretch, high ownership and of course, change. For many people, that’s part of what makes 9fin exciting — the chance to take on responsibility and grow quickly — but we also know that doesn’t feel the same for everyone, all the time. As we continue to grow, one of the things we think a lot about is how to keep the best parts of what made 9fin special while also evolving as a company. It’s something we’re actively working on, whether that’s through better clarity, stronger support, or continued investment in tools and teams. Open, honest feedback really does matter to us. If you’re open to it, I’d encourage you to share more directly with your manager, People team, or any of the execs. Those conversations help us understand context and make things better over time. Mandeep VP People
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