Is Penguin Random House a good company to work for?

Penguin Random House has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 1,555 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 73% of employees would recommend working at Penguin Random House to a friend and 71% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Penguin Random House have been left by employees working as Editorial Intern , Intern and Director .

Does Penguin Random House pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penguin Random House employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penguin Random House . This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

73% of Penguin Random House employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penguin Random House 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penguin Random House ?

Editorial Assistant (50) , Editor (33) , Intern (29) , Editorial Intern (25) , Publicity Assistant (22) , Designer (21) , Marketing Assistant (20) , Publicity Intern (15) , Assistant Editor (13) , Director (13) , Senior Designer (13) , Manager (12) , Graphic Designer (11) , Marketing Coordinator (11) , Author (10)

What are the pros of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefit as well as perks" ((in 190 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 136 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 88 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 62 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 50 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Pay was low and that was about it" ((in 141 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 30 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 22 reviews)); "Long hours running into weekends" ((in 15 reviews)); "You can get a great manager and be the happiest on earth." ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penguin Random House layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Penguin Random House layoffs and their outlook for job security at Penguin Random House in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Penguin Random House locations?

New York , Westminster , Crawfordsville , Brooklyn , Baltimore , Hampstead , Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Reno , Woodstock , Kirkwood , Forest Hills , Austin , Victoria , Gulfport , England , Carmel , Indianapolis , Cincinnati , Emeryville , Mountain View , Iowa City , Seattle , New Milford , Atlanta , Old Tappan , Remote , Antares , Canada

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(1,191 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,191 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Penguin Random House has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,191 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Penguin Random House employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

2.0

Jun 9, 2014

It's a good job, but it will be the only thing you do with your time

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A fantastic group of very driven people create a truly impressive collection of works. The staff is supportive of each other and you learn a ton while you are there. While the pay isn't great, the benefits and vacation days are good.

Cons

There is no such thing as "done with your work for the day." No one understands the boundary between work and life, and all of the editorial employees work non-stop. The company hires driven, smart people and then takes advantage of how driven they are by forcing more and more work on them. It is an unhealthy place to stay in for too long.

4.0

May 14, 2025

Promotions Often Not Merit-Based

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A very humane place to work. Great benefits, time off, great HR dept.

Cons

Exciting company to work for, but you may find it frustrating that people tend to only be promoted after they have "put in their time," and not necessarily because they are the best for the job. Be prepared to watch as majorly talented and qualified people are passed over for others because they know someone personally, they don't have to be paid as much, or because they have been at the company longer.

3.0

May 14, 2025

Designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Free books and that’s all

Cons

Pretentious coworkers and low pay and no growth

Viewing 37 - 39 of 1,191 Reviews

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Staff Machine Learning Scientist – Personalization (Open to Remote)