High standards, low psychological safety - Anonymous employee Anext Bank Employee Review

ANEXT has ambitious goals, talented people and opportunities to work on genuinely interesting initiatives. Unfortunately, my experience was overshadowed by systemic management and leadership issues that made the environment far more difficult than it needed to be. The biggest issue is management capability. There are technically capable people, but technical expertise does not consistently translate into leadership. Employees who struggle are often evaluated rather than developed. Coaching, structured feedback and manager support are inconsistent, and by the time performance concerns surface, the conversation can already feel punitive instead of constructive. Psychological safety was one of the weakest aspects of the culture. Public criticism was not an exception; it was part of how the organisation operated. It was not uncommon to witness senior leaders openly berate or belittle managers during cross-functional meetings. Watching department heads being publicly dressed down while dozens of people sat silently in the room created a culture where avoiding mistakes became more important than raising concerns or challenging ideas. The organisation prides itself on moving quickly, but execution often suffers because priorities and strategic direction shift frequently. Teams invest significant effort into initiatives only to have focus redirected before work has a chance to mature. The pace is energising, but constant pivots make sustained execution and long-term ownership difficult. Role fit is another area that deserves much more attention. Employees can be placed into roles that do not fully utilise their strengths, yet there appears to be little structured effort to recalibrate before confidence and performance decline. When someone struggles, the organisation seems more comfortable identifying the gap than helping close it. People development did not appear to be a strategic priority. The organisation invested heavily in products, partnerships and execution, but far less consistently in developing managers, coaching employees or retaining talent. If you thrive under pressure, require little guidance, and already have strong fintech or digital banking experience, you may enjoy the challenge. If you value mentorship, psychologically safe leadership, thoughtful onboarding or managers who actively invest in developing their people, your experience will depend heavily on which team you join.