I'd think twice before deciding to work here - Anonymous Forward Financing Employee Review

1.0
15 Jan 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The actual employees that work here are great. Before COVID, we had awesome happy hours and events, and I really enjoyed getting to know my team. My assumption is that these things will hopefully continue once it's safe to do so (post-COVID).

Cons

The leadership is really sub-par. They completely micromanage and don't have faith in their teams to actually do their jobs. Oversights is OK, but they have absolutely no faith in the people they hire. They talk about hiring "A Players" (which is a very outdated model that can lead to a lack of diversity), but then they don't trust these A Players to do their jobs. Our most senior leaders in the company are heavily involved in the day to day to the point where junior employees wonder why they are even here. When the pandemic hit, they had to lay off some employees, and furlough employees. That is hard for any company to go through. But the entire process was very poorly managed. The week after the first round of layoffs, we had a company-wide huddle, where our Event Planner played "Don't Stop Believing" as the introduction to the meeting. It was bizarre. For those of us that remained post-layoff and furloughs, we were forced to switch into different roles that promised career growth and opportunity. These were roles in completely different areas of the business. However, instead of being growth opportunities, they worked us to the bone and gave us no work life balance. I feel glued to my computer and work 60+ hour weeks. And I'm NOT compensated enough for that. Before I joined, they talked so much about their product - the Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) and how it came from a desire to help small businesses. The pandemic really showed us that it isn't the case at all. These customers often don't know what they are signing up for and Forward Financing takes advantage of that. I also don't understand why P&C asks people to fill out Glassdoor reviews. They're anonymous, but then somehow P&C will follow up to "check in" if you completed it. That's why I made my title on here Anonymous. If they are asking people to fill it out, it could be really obvious who it is, and that's why you see so many positive reviews on here. Honestly, I would not recommend working here. The cons far outweigh the pros.

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Forward Financing Response
5y
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We strive to build an environment where employees feel empowered to take ownership of their work, are listened to, and have a positive work/life balance. Our business was impacted by the sudden closure of many of our small business customers at the onset of COVID last spring. To make sure our customers could get the support they needed, we asked some employees to take on new responsibilities temporarily. However, no one at Forward Financing should be working 60+ hours a week at any time. We encourage candid feedback and provide multiple channels for employees to raise concerns, including anonymous feedback through Officevibe, scheduled monthly one-on-ones with members of the People & Culture Team, and regular check-ins with managers. Moving forward, we welcome you to share how you’re feeling through one of those channels so that we can address your concerns and make changes to your workload. When a customer receives funding from us, we explain the contract’s details over the phone to ensure they know what the product is and what they can expect from us. For example, when a customer’s revenue has decreased, we work with them to find a payment plan that works for their business. Over 90% of our 800+ Trustpilot reviews are 5 stars, and many comment on our great customer service and flexibility. We follow Glassdoor's best practices (https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/employee-engagement-dos-donts/) by asking interviewees, new hires, and employees to share their feedback on Glassdoor. Our hope is that it gives future employees a sense of what it is like to work at Forward Financing, and that we can understand what is going well and what we can improve on. We never ask or require employees to share positive feedback - our only request is to submit an honest review. We’re committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. We have an active DEI committee that meets regularly where ideas are shared and acted on to improve diversity in hiring. We welcome you to join our DEI community to share your thoughts on how we can improve our hiring process. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please feel free to email peopleandculture@forwardfinancing.com. Every team member plays an important role at Forward Financing and in helping our customers, so we want to make sure that you and all employees feel supported and appreciated for your contributions.

Explore other reviews about Forward Financing

5.0
23 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Top-Tier Compensation & Resources: The company pays very well and genuinely invests in its employees by providing excellent resources to help us succeed. Incredible Culture & Team: My coworkers and team members are amazing, hardworking, and deeply dedicated. There is a strong sense of camaraderie, and we do truly meaningful work together every day. Fantastic Remote Environment: The remote work setup is seamless and highly effective, making it a wonderful place to work from anywhere. Rewarding Leadership: As a manager, it is incredibly fulfilling to support my team, solve problems for our customers, and cross the finish line on major tasks. I feel genuinely lucky to be a part of this organization.

Cons

Learning Curve & Operational Complexity: The environment is very fast-paced, and the product itself is highly complex. It takes a significant amount of time to learn the ins and outs, which naturally makes managing the operations space a bit challenging. Heavy Manual Workload: There are a lot of manual reviews required, which can lead to an increased workload for managers. Growing Pains: Right now, there is a lot of reliance on "tribal knowledge" and navigating gray areas. As the company continues to expand, leadership will need to prioritize building more standardized, scalable processes to ease the operational burden.

5.0
23 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing company to work for. The team is incredibly supportive, and everyone is always willing to help and answer questions. The collaborative environment makes it easy to learn, grow, and feel valued as an employee. I truly appreciate the positive culture and the encouragement I receive from my colleagues and leadership.

Cons

None at this time. I am really enjoying my experience working here and look forward to continuing to grow with the company.

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