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Penguin Random House

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Great people & culture, challenging & rewarding work - Contracts Associate Penguin Random House Employee Review

5.0
Jul 18, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful people of all age groups, you can learn from colleagues who have been here for decades. The work is challenging, in a good way. Good culture full of people who are kind and take pride in their jobs. You feel welcome, and are encouraged to reach out and ask for help if you need it. I was impressed by how well they transitioned to allowing remote work. Management is flexible and has a common sense approach. They clearly have faith in their employees to work hard and get things done without micromanaging.

Cons

The publishing industry as a whole is somewhat antiquated and cumbersome. There's limited growth because people stay so long, so rising through the ranks feels very regimented and bureacratic. PRH lacks the exciting dynamism of younger, smaller companies, but in exchange you get stability and the reliability of staff who have decades of expertise.

Explore other reviews about Penguin Random House

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

super friendly work environment, very understanding, very fun

Cons

in consumer marketing department, a large number of people work remotely

5.0
Jun 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

• Caring people. Psychological safety is emphasized by people at every level. I feel like leadership at each step of the reporting chain is very approachable and transparent. • Great work/life balance. • There is a lot of openness to trying new technologies or doing different things for such a large and established organization. There is very little "trend chasing," it's more like you're listened to. As the CEO started out as a technologist, he has a realistic view of what new tools (including, but not just, AI) can do for us. • Informal, especially for a company created by the merger of two nearly-100 year old publishing firms and was recently acquired by a nearly-200 year old company. • Company supports learning and development. • Free books! • I care greatly about the company's mission and it's clear how my work impacts the company's ability to execute on it. • Things often move slowly, which is both a pro and a con.

Cons

• Pay and insurance are very average, but I can live with that. This is a much bigger con for employees whose jobs require them to be on-site, especially in e.g. London and New York. • Said learning and development seem to have a ...deliberate pace. While this is fine and what I wanted, other tech people coming in from more "tech-y" organizations mightn't gel with it. • Things often move slowly, which is both a pro and a con.

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