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 182 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 93 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 72 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 51 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 134 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 30 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 25 reviews)); "Long hours running into weekends" ((in 14 reviews)); "You can get a great manager and be the happiest on earth." ((in 13 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

4.0

Jan 5, 2024

A great place for people who care about books

Marketing manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A great place for people who care about books and want to work with smart people. PRH has great perks and while you might be understaffed you are encouraged to take time off to recharge.

Cons

While I have been promoted, I have hit the ceiling in my position. I may still be promoted in the future but my responsibilities will likely not change. Most people do not leave their positions so there is little growth or upward mobility. Since our merger with Random House our once quirky work environment has become stuffy and corporate

4.0

Aug 13, 2023

Great but publishing is rough

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Friendly and energetic culture among employees, solid pay and benefits (for publishing), accessible offices.

Cons

It's kind of unstable in certain divisions, but so is the industry overall. Lack of clarity around remote/hybrid work as a company. The guidance is on a department-by-department basis but its extremely varied and some will have more pressure than others to come in.

1.0

Apr 27, 2023

Mixed Feelings

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Books! - Considered the best of the Big 5 in terms of salary, benefits and general systems

Cons

- Lack of diversity, especially in upper management = huge affinity bias (those promoted/praised were similar to those in power) - Lack of real growth (lots of micro-levels between each position such as assistant manager/associate manager etc…and yet most promotions required more work for very little pay bumps)

Viewing 46 - 48 of 1,191 Reviews

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