Toxic, fear-mongering culture - Anonymous employee Starling Employee Review

1.0
Dec 3, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Breakfast and beers provided on Fridays

Cons

Starling is a sinking ship run by egomaniacs with no people skills or ability to connect with other human beings. Company wide decisions are made as knee jerk reactions by the CEO because Tom Blomfield gets better press than she does. At Starling Bank there is no room for any kind of creativity or growth. HR is useless and simply exists to maintain a facade rather then protecting people against bullying or sexual harassment. The CEO has very little respect for people, which is a shame considering she is a female CEO and she could be doing some really powerful and meaningful stuff.

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Starling Response
8y
It is not our policy to comment on anonymous posts, because of questions over their authenticity. However, this post makes a claim which is of great concern. As such, we want to confirm that we are taking this very seriously indeed. We remain committed to providing our employees with a safe and secure environment at work where they feel welcomed and valued.

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5.0
Jan 15, 2023
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CEO approval
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Pros

Amaizing people Good benefits Flexible working hours

Cons

There is nothin I can think of at the moment.

1.0
Apr 24, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It is a strong platform and the customer is clearly important to the business. There are also good, hard-working people across the team who care about doing a good job and stay professional despite the environment.

Cons

The problems in finance come from the very top. Too involved in day to day detail, do not give people enough room to do their jobs, and create an environment where people do not feel comfortable speaking openly, questioning decisions or raising concerns. The culture feels controlling and very low trust. Pressure is high, but support often feels very weak. Good and respected people have left, and that says a lot about the current environment. People who work hard and add value do not always feel properly supported. The day to day approach creates uncertainty and stress where it should create clarity and confidence. There is also a gap between what the top tier in finance says and what people actually experience. Talk about empowerment, wellbeing and positive culture does not match the reality. If those things matter, they need to show up in everyday behaviour. Too often, it feels like image over any substance. Overall, trust is very low, morale is poor, and open discussion does not feel encouraged despite employee survey feedback.

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