Revolut is a haven for remote work in fintech, but you won't have it easy
One of the few safe havens for remote workers has always been the fintech industry. Things are changing for some... but not Revolut.
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Fintechs are going off remote work. Robinhood once went remote, but founder Vlad Tenev called it a "terrible mistake" and is now bringing staff in more than some investment banks. Brex, a cards and payments fintech, stopped advertising itself as remote-first in early August; now it's hybrid, with just "4 fully remote weeks" per year. Stripe may be getting a bit more remote-friendly; ~41% of its unique job openings are remote while only 30-40% of its employees were remote as of last year, but those figures still pale compared to remote working Revolut.
Revolut has 273 open roles, 239 of which are available remotely. Many of those that are only available in the office are its Rev-Celerator internships. Revolut says the "vast majority" of its staff decide when and how often they come into the office. It also says that over a third of its UK employees are based outside of London.
Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky is not a fan of the stereotypical startup offices and their accompanying distractions. In an interview with startup CharlieHR, Storonsky remarked that another startup put a Playstation in its office, which led to "a lot of people distract[ing] other people in the middle of the day. What’s the point?" Rather than time spent in the office, Storonsky prefers it when Revolut staff "pull more hours" overall. "That's what helps you win this game." And that happens when people work remotely.
Remote working makes Revolut popular with employees and candidates. The app-based bank has 500 applicants per job, and its Glassdoor reviews in 2024 praise its approach to remote work. One account executive says Revolut is "very understanding" and, while communication with colleagues can be difficult, "it's a price I personally am happy to pay." Remote work is one of the most frequently cited positives of working for Revolut, even in negative reviews. It's not universally loved, however; one review says Revolut has "no culture because everyone is at home."
Not only does Revolut allow people to work from home, it pays well too. According to Levels.fyi, Revolut engineers earn $126.7k per head in 2024, up 17% year-on-year.
However, if you're looking for a remote job for the work-life balance... working at Revolut might not be for you. Revolut reviews on Glassdoor in 2024 say they have to "work 12 to 14 hours a day to meet my KPIs." Storonsky has confirmed staff work these hours in the past, but doesn't say they're mandatory... so long as you're "getting s*** done."
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