Micromanager's heaven - Software Engineer Wise Employee Review

1.0
28 Sept 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

As an experienced engineer Wise has a decent technology stack and the product offering is strong across the globe. There is a good bunch of people and some really good perks such as Friday lunches and a yearly paid 3 day party. On the work itself colleagues are usually supportive and should you are in a good team there can be good opportunities to advance one's career by being exposed to interesting problems around scaling a start up business.

Cons

To start with, you work for a company that has little consideration for your well-being. You're constantly overworked with expectations way beyond a 40h week. You're being asked directly that you have to put hours beyond your 9-6pm. Yes you read right, you're being asked to do this directly by your manager. The self-organised autonomous teams mean that there's a poor overall system design where teams are strongly depended on each other. There's no unified planning method so planning across squads is effectively impossible and this has also created a highly selfish culture. You're being constantly micro-managed. Your lead will have a spreadsheet with every task you do and a tickbox next to it, every second counts. You may think this is an exaggeration but please read the rest of the reviews about micro-management. I over looked them prior to joining Wise. A completely misunderstood feedback culture. Feedback culture means that on every mistake or oversight you're going to receive feedback. It also means that there's constant fear about receiving bad feedback and you constantly watch your back. Lastly, you may have received an offer and you're looking at these reviews to make up your mind. The offer is good and you're considering joining. Pension is a joke at 5% and the rest of the package is poor compared to other fintechs.

Explore other reviews about Wise

5.0
12 Mar 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
25 Feb 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.

8
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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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