Wiser does a good job of using their glamorous front to draw you in. Constant free hoodies to remind you of your job when you’re not working, a hip office, and randomly sending employees on holiday. What’s not to like?
I am well and truly traumatised by my experience at Wiser, so let’s rip away its glittering veil. They repeatedly claim that they’re ‘not like other companies’ (omg so quirky!) as a gimmicky cover-up for their lack of standardised practices. Wiser is right, though — they *aren’t* like other companies… they’re different in the sense that they discriminate against you in their toxic, cliquey culture! (Sorry, I meant cult!)
And that’s not all…
• Wiser isn’t interested in the growth and development of juniors and grads. They will hire you, knowing you don’t have previous experience in a skill and offer NO TRAINING. They will give you real client projects on your first day and tell you to get on with it. They will then call you into a meeting room on a random Thursday afternoon (with only about five minutes' notice) and tell you they’re getting rid of you, citing minor skill hiccups, even though colleagues and clients sing your praises. They will leave juniors unemployed with no advanced notice or aftercare despite bragging about being a company that invests in aftercare. (Yes, this really happened!) Aren’t grad schemes supposed to include training? Isn’t taking an entry-level junior to a skilled senior the whole point of grad schemes? Yep, I thought so too. It’s sink-or-swim when they’re meant to teach juniors *how* to swim!
• Favouritism makes up Wiser’s cult(ure). The same favourites are constantly promoted whilst others are left working twice as hard. And to any employees reading this who have no experience of this: surprise! You’re a favourite. How’s dinner with the CEO on Monday evenings going?
• Wiser will give you junior managers who redefine incompetence. Ones with no previous managerial training or experience. That manager will go on to disguise their constant cynical rudeness under the guise of ‘being real’.
• Wiser is a lifestyle! Everyone’s social circles are in Wiser. Everyone dates each other. You get judged if you don’t want to go for drinks after work with everyone. You get judged if you want to hang out with your real friends outside of work (because your friends should be at Wiser!). It's like a university society on steroids.
• If you’re not a loud, super social and extroverted person — a ‘purple person’ with ‘wiser energy’ — don’t bother. Internal recruiters admit to looking for this ‘wiser energy’ above anything else. Explains why my interview was all about what I like to do in my free time. As if your ability to chug beers at company socials and tell jokes in meeting rooms is a testament to your professional prowess.
• They’re not inclusive of different personalities and neurodiversity. It’s not even generally diverse — the employees are made up of 90% white people. They even boasted about ‘only’ 27% of their workforce coming from private schools when the national average is 7%. It’s laughable, really.
• Ageism is another jewel in Wiser's crown. Older employees are an endangered species because they see through the charade (and they’ve all left!). The company's obsession with youth ensures a workforce that's easily mouldable and blissfully ignorant of their rights.
• They drill that they’re a ‘high-performance culture’ down your throats so it’s acceptable for everyone to stay past 6 pm and ping your phone down with WhatsApp messages on the weekends. (Yep, you read that right — the company communicates on WhatsApp x)
• They play loud dance music (literally full-on EDM) in the office to the point where they had to create a designated quiet space because the regular space is just that unbearable.
• Ever seen an office with no computer monitors? Meet Wiser: where everyone works on a laptop. The office is just people working on desks with their laptops.
• Everyone HUGS one another and it is WEIRD and uncomfortable. Expect a hug if you’re going in for an interview and hugs from your manager. What ever happened to respect for personal space? People will look at you weird if you stretch your arm out for a handshake.
• There’s no HR team.
Wiser has been around for about a decade, but their chaotic energy screams startup that hasn't made it past year one.
Job seekers, brace yourselves — Wiser is less a beacon of professional growth and more a cautionary tale of corporate insanity. Enter at your own risk. For an employer branding agency, you’d think they’d know a bit about what makes a good culture.
