Corporate Culture, Start-up Excuses - Anonymous employee Wise Employee Review

1.0
Sep 1, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Employees are kind to each other. The mandatorily attended offices are very "fun." Benefits are decently competitive.

Cons

Unrealistic expectations Mismanagement Low salaries Limited opportunities — As a former employee of six years, this was hard to write. I moved roles three times, all in the pursuit of better pay, and it was the only way I could ever receive it. Despite this, I somehow still went 2 years without a salary review due to the timing of my sabbatical — an issue I had been promised wouldn't matter. KPIs are important, but irrelevant if the people setting them have no idea how to use their measurement tools. Data without context doesn't actually provide useful feedback opportunities, which is a major cultural failing. I spent more time arguing as a Team Lead on behalf of my employees — demanding answers about their low pay or unfair measurement standards — than I did getting my actual work done. This often fell on deaf ears, and I couldn't advance many of my employees no matter what any of us did. This translated over to my next role in the company, wherein coworker reviews I worked hard to write rarely mattered in the grand scheme of salary decisions. It appeared they made the decision to close the Tampa office nearly a full year before they told us, as upper management used several common tactics (often deployed in the US) to encourage employee attrition, rather than practicing transparency. Any failings they have as a company — particularly within leadership — are harkened back to the "growing pains of a startup," despite their ruthlessly corporate business practices. It is also my opinion that laid off employees were not treated with dignity or empathy, even while still actively employed during the "transition", and it was a tragedy to watch.

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Wise Response
7mo
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback with us - we do appreciate it. You raised a number of areas of concern which we do hope you were able to discuss before you left. We have processes in place to make sure what we pay is fair and competitive so that we can continue to attract and keep Wisers to help work towards our mission. We use data from multiple sources to determine what the local job market we compete in for talent pays for a role to help us decide how we want to pay in comparison to that market. We then work with functional leads to set salary ranges for each role and location.

Explore other reviews about Wise

5.0
Mar 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

flexible review pay lots of feedback

Cons

repetitive long hours can be frustrating no sponsorship for visa

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Wise Response
2mo
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We’re pleased to hear that you appreciate the flexibility, benefits and culture. We hope you continue enjoying your experience at Wise.
3.0
Feb 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mission-Driven Work: Wise’s mission of "money without borders" aligned perfectly with my personal values. I was genuinely excited to go to work every day, tackle challenges, and track our progress toward that goal. Exceptional Peer Group: The hiring bar is high; you’ll work with smart, diverse, and genuinely interesting people from all backgrounds. Cutting-Edge Product: Working on the Wise Platform is a great technical experience. As an Implementation Manager, you get excellent visibility and access to the Product and Engineering teams. Top-Tier Documentation: Internal enablement and documentation are highly organized, making it easy to self-serve and find answers quickly.

Cons

Lack of Transparency in Management: I received no negative feedback during my probation period, only to be placed on a PIP two weeks after it ended. The feedback loop is non-existent; instead of real-time coaching, minor oversights are "saved up" to justify disciplinary action. Poor Feedback Quality: The PIP I received felt AI-generated, filled with corporate jargon and lacking substantive examples of performance failure. It felt like a formality rather than a genuine attempt at development. Toxic Management Culture: There is a palpable sense of micromanagement and "back-stabbing" within certain leadership circles. The environment shifted from collaborative to manipulative, with a noticeable lack of directness and honesty. Growth Hurdles: The Sales team appears to be struggling to close deals, which impacts the overall momentum of the department.

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Wise Response
2mo
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. You raised a number of concerns and I hope you were able to discuss these before you left. If you’d be comfortable to share more details, we’d really appreciate it. Please drop us an email at employerbrand@wise.com.
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