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World Resources Institute

Engaged Employer

Great first job and entry to the field, no career growth - Research Analyst World Resources Institute Employee Review

3.0
Dec 6, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

WRI is at the cutting edge of environment and economic development. If your passion is in these issues, it is one of the best places to work for since WRI has so much network in this field. Very smart and passionate people, great work environment and great work-life balance. Despite the cons below, exit opportunities are great.

Cons

Despite the pros, the biggest con is the lack of career growth in the organization. The organization is growing rapidly with the new CEO Andrew Steer, however, WRI strongly prefers to hire new people for new positions instead of promoting existing staff. Existing staff gets pigeon-holed to their existing roles and responsibilities. There are very little to no room for growth, esp for junior staff. The institute is a great place to get your foot in the door and start working in this field and gather contacts and experience, but to advance forward in your career you must leave and go elsewhere. This is not to say that WRI is not a great place to work, it is absolutely wonderful but all future staff must realize this risk when coming in. Turnover is extremely high and average tenure is around 2 years. Currently there are no efforts to fix or even acknowledge this problem from senior management.

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5.0
May 5, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work - wonderful colleagues

Cons

Structure does not always meet individual needs

4.0
May 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Mission-driven work - Smart , friendly and passionate colleagues - Global impact - Collaborative culture - Strong reputation — Flexible / progressive work environment - Innovation-oriented Diverse international perspective A leadership that cares: the global leadership stepped in when U.S. funding was unexpectedly canceled, providing financial support for several programs for a few months to give teams time to secure new funding sources.

Cons

Resource constraints affecting efficiency: working with limited staffing and budgets sometimes made it challenging to execute projects efficiently Compensation compared to the private sector: salaries are noticeably lower than for private-sector roles, which is especially challenging in a city like NYC. Project direction influenced by funding priorities: I noticed that donor and grant priorities often shaped the direction of projects. Career progression tied to funding cycles: advancement opportunities often depended on program funding rather than purely on performance.

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