Paranoid narcissistic CEO :/ - Research Associate Better Markets Employee Review

It was motivating to be part of the Better Markets mission of serving the public interest in banking and financial markets, especially because they have the most influential voice among public advocacy organizations in this space. That clearly was because of their hardworking staff and subject matter experts, one of which I was happy to be for nearly two years. I was able to learn every day from the subject matter experts, other staff, and the CEO about numerous financial regulatory issues and policies as well as what makes effective advocacy. The breadth of issues I was able to cover and opportunities to shape the public dialogue kept me engaged and motivated. If you care about the public interest in the financial industry, this is a great place to work.

The breadth of issues can be challenging at times, but as I said it is motivating and kept me engaged.

Many talented staff are brought on, but they also tend to depart quickly.

The position discussed during the interview process differed from the position once starting, lacking any room or hope for professional growth. This ended up being a complete demotion from my former position. Tasks and outreach are micromanaged, and quite a bit of proactive work goes completely unused. Any suggestions about how to improve processes were often met with argument and questioning that led to no changes. The long-term goals of the organization were unclear, and its mission seemed to be deeply hindered by a CEO more concerned with getting his name/quote featured in the press than meaningful work focusing on goals of the organization as a whole. His conversations with staff were invasive, and he frequently engaged in humor I found to be inappropriate and offensive, both generally and as he referred to staff. Incredibly high staff turnover. Dismal benefits. Branded during interviews as a stable, work-life balanced atmosphere, the vacation and sick time offered to employees is the least I have ever seen. While others mention good pay, my own was not (all while the CEO was making more than many others in similar positions in the nonprofit world, according to publicly available Forms 990).