What it does: Refinitiv provides financial markets data and infrastructure to more than 40,000 institutional clients in 190 countries.
Best known for: Refinitiv originally served as the financial and risk unit of Thomson Reuters.
Staff stats: More than 18,000 employees.
The good bits: Employees from around the world acknowledge the good work-life balance and comprehensive benefits such as annual and quarterly bonuses, health insurance and remote work opportunities.
The not so good bits: The spinoff affected employee morale, especially in terms of career progression and job security.
Refinitiv started as a US$6 billion startup company in 2018, following Thomson Reuters’ sale of a majority stake in their financial and risk unit to Blackstone Group. The deal led to the spinoff business now known as Refinitiv. In 2019, the London Stock Exchange bought the company for US$27 billion.
The company offers more than 130 products and services including big data, open data and technology solutions, and trading platforms for different clients. Refinitiv operates in 190 countries where they serve more than 40,000 institutional clients.
Refinitiv has a disability-friendly selection process which provides everyone with an equal opportunity to apply for vacancies. Applicants in the USA can request to be accommodated during the hiring process (eg sign language interpreter).
The company may take two weeks to process candidates for transaction support executives. Applicants will need to answer a technical quiz about their knowledge of basic HTTPS concepts.
Aspiring trainees for content analyst and graduate engineering roles should expect to wait a few days to know the results of their applications. Some individuals reported an unpleasant experience with the company’s HR team.
The hiring process can take very long because of Refinitiv’s ongoing transition. The company may process applications for content analysts over two to three months, on average. You should expect a series of interviews and at least three technical exams.
Individuals who applied through their colleges or universities may have to wait three months. Be prepared for three rounds of interviews and two technical tests.
The one-month process includes basic interview questions done by a panel, after an HR representative contacts you. You should prepare a PowerPoint presentation if you apply as a sales associate.
The company divides its job functions into 12 primary categories: accounting and finance, administrative, corporate training, customer service, human resources, legal, marketing and communications, product management, professional and consulting services, project management, sales and technology. Internships at Refinitiv are limited to certain countries:
An intern for a fintech front-end developer role normally has a Bachelor’s Degree in IT or Computer Science. Data scientist interns can be undergraduate or graduate students in applied mathematics, computer science, finance or statistics.
Internships for software engineering roles normally begin in January. Candidates must be in their third or fourth year of studies in IT to qualify for the position. Familiarity with C#, C++, Java, Javascript or Python are also necessary, as well as fluency in spoken and written English.
Refinitiv’s compensation structure partly depends on the location and job function. Applicants in the first few years from 2018 might be eligible for the same benefits and salary package as Thomson Reuters makes a complete transition.
Transaction support executives earn between AUD69,000 and AUD75,000 per year, which is slightly above the average entry-level salary in the country. Median annual salaries for customer service representatives range from AUD62,000 to AUD68,000. Benefits include diversity and employee assistance programs, employee discounts (eg lifestyle and wellness), flexible work schedule, health insurance, job training and tuition support, performance bonuses, maternity and paternity leave, and paid time off and sick leave.
Content analysts earn INR374,000 per year on average. Financial analysts earn more per year with average salaries of INR586,000 to INR632,000. Software engineers’ average salaries vary between INR527,000 and INR576,000 per year. Some employees said that they can work from home. Work schedules are flexible and allow people to be on leave during their birthdays. Other benefits include health insurance, maternity and paternity leave, paid time off, sick leave and quarterly bonuses.
Companies seldom reveal the salary range for open roles. If you apply as a content analyst, the low-end median salary is around PHP220,000 per year for inexperienced candidates. Refinitiv employees said that the company has an extensive compensation package. Annual salary increments and retirement plans seem to be among the most important incentives. Employees can also include up to two dependents on their healthcare coverage.
Paid internships offer at least SGD1,000 per month. Marketing interns reportedly earn between SGD4,000 and SGD5,000 per month. Employees can also work from home and add family members to their health insurance.
The separation from Thomson Reuters predominantly caused an apprehensive sentiment among employees. Constant developments from the business spinoff can be overwhelming, aside from keeping up with the demands of daily tasks. The majority of employees still recognise the company as a good place to build a career or explore a new one.
The regional management system in your home country can also contrast their counterparts in other countries. It can be complicated to have an overseas-based manager and still report to a local superior.
Bloomberg, Dow Jones, FactSet and S&P Global are among the top competitors of Refinitiv.
The Chinese government allegedly pressured Refinitiv to censor Reuters news about the Hong Kong protests in 2019. Refinitiv blocked the stories supposedly due to concerns of being suspended in China.
Refinitiv may be a multibillion company, but their startup nature mostly creates uncertainty for employees and their career progression. Individuals who are overachievers and flexible will likely thrive in their roles at the company. The ability to cope with change, which can happen suddenly, will be helpful as well.