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World Resources Institute

Engaged Employer

Great people, Authoritarian HR - Communications World Resources Institute Employee Review

2.0
Oct 18, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

New staff recieve 24 days of PTO per year (a sum of sick days, PTO, etc). There are also options for flexible work including an "Alternative Work Schedule" which allows employees who so choose to work 9-6pm Monday-Friday and recieve every other Friday off without taking PTO. Direct management is fantastic. Opportunities to attend global events such as COP26.

Cons

WRI has a severe retention problem. The broader communications teams and individual program teams at WRI are incredibly understaffed. I had three supervisors during my year and a half at WRI. Although all of them were fantastic, it was quite jarring to switch managers twice, mainly as the transitions occurred when I was finally feeling settled in my role. Not only are they hemmoraghing valuable talent because HR refuses to pay junior staff equitably and treat them with respect, but the constant cycle of meeting new people and saying goodbye to treasured colleagues is utterly exhausting. On top of this, the increasingly authoritarian HR is continually placing more restrictions on the raise structure, which is unfair when considering that people who continue to stay committed to WRI are not rewarded for their commitment to the company but instead are expected to pick up slack with no equitable financial compensation for their work. In my case, I left WRI because I was indisputably being paid inequitably. After over six months of negotiating with HR to fix the problem and hoping my team could provide an alternative solution, I left. I felt terrible for my team, as they are wonderful people. Still, especially after HR scheduled my exit interview, I am going with a sincerely bitter taste in my mouth, and unfortunately would not recommend WRI to friends or colleagues. If you've ever heard the phrase "HR protects the company, not you", that could not be more true of WRI, as HR clearly does not care about its employees.

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5.0
May 5, 2026
Anonymous employee
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CEO approval
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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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