Forward Financing

5.0

Apr 7, 2025

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I’ve been employed by several companies prior to joining Forward a few years ago, and I can honestly say that this is the most enjoyable and rewarding workplace I’ve experienced. From the truly special culture to the important audience we serve to the way we operate as a company, I feel lucky to be a part of Forward. And with the recent change in CEO, I’m even more optimistic about the trajectory of the company. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some of the main pros of Forward: - Mission-driven – The leadership team talks a lot about the company’s mission – to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. That mission really does seem to be the backdrop of everything we do, and the people who work here really believe in it. It feels genuine, not just rhetoric. - Remote-first – We have an employee choice policy, so employees can choose where they work. I work from home most of the time, but I do go into Boston and work from the office a few times a month. This flexibility is HUGE for me as a working parent. The company also has figured out how to keep the culture going in a remote-first environment…the people and culture team do an awesome job. - Top-down communication – There is frequent, transparent, and contextual information shared from the leadership team with the whole company. We all know how the company is performing, what our goals are, how important projects are progressing, etc. - Approach to feedback – The company takes a very thorough approach to evaluating performance and providing helpful, real feedback on an ongoing basis. People seem to know where they stand. - Flexible / working parent friendly culture – I feel very supported as a working parent. Leadership understands that family comes first, and I have the flexibility I need when kid-related issues pop up.

Cons

Forward certainly isn’t perfect, and like any company, there is some downside. - New leadership – There’s always a learning curve when new leadership comes onboard, and we’re experiencing that. There are different expectations, different ways of operating, different ways to communicate, and I think people are still getting used to that. Change is hard, but ultimately I believe this change is for the better. - Taking full advantage of expertise – We have a growing number of non-exec level leaders at the company – Senior Managers, Directors, VPs. It feels like there’s more we could do as a company to tap into this group’s experience and varied skillsets. These folks could collaborate more cross-functionally and learn from each other. - New-ish industry/product – The product we offer is fairly new and most definitely not as widely understood as more traditional financing products, like a small business loan from a bank. This makes it ripe for scrutiny on the legislative and regulatory front. Not exactly a “con” per se, but a reality we need to operate within. - Macroeconomic impact – Because we offer a financial product, our business is susceptible to macroeconomic factors. Although I will say, the leadership team seems to keep an incredibly close eye on the business and the economy to ensure we’re making smart decisions about how to run the company.

Forward Financing Response

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to share such an incredibly thoughtful and detailed review! We're truly honored and thrilled to hear that Forward stands out as your most enjoyable and rewarding workplace so far. It's wonderful to hear that our mission, remote work flexibility, transparent communication, approach to feedback, and supportive culture (especially for working parents!) resonate so strongly with you. We're also happy that you're so optimistic about our company's trajectory - we are, too! We really value your balanced perspective on our evolution as a company. We recognize leadership transitions take adjustment and understand the external challenges of our industry and the economy. We also appreciate your insightful feedback regarding leveraging our leaders' expertise - it's a great point! We're very proud of our leaders at Forward and certainly want their skills and experience to be fully utilized, especially as we continue to grow. Speaking of growth, your advice on maintaining focus, adapting to employee needs, and initiative pacing is incredibly helpful as we evolve. Feedback this detailed and specific is truly invaluable and we're so appreciative of you taking the time to share it with us. Thank you for being such a committed member of the Forward team!

Best Workplace of My Career - Anonymous employee Forward Financing Employee Review

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