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Penguin Random House

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Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(1,191 total reviews)
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Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

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
May 27, 2020

Ugh

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing colleagues. Got to work with the best minds in the world to create amazing books. Loved the work. Absolutely loved the work.

Cons

Toxic culture. In my one department, 3 harassment cases, of which we were told to consider "both sides." Perpetrators protected based on friendships with key decision makers. HR was notified, and did everything they could to protect to company against victims. Was personally sexually harassed, as were many colleagues, who no longer work in publishing, or live in NYC - basically they fled. "Low pay" because we "love what we do" is code for continuing to hire the same type of rich white employee who can afford NYC on a tiny salary. If you're going to prioritize white books and white buyers, just be transparent about it. Stop putting the onus on employees to undergo "diversity trainings." Pay more. Hire diverse employees. Listen to victims.

3.0
Feb 28, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Office culture is generally friendly and people are eager to help. The benefits are good. Perks include free books and a large number of vacation days. Company discounts at museums and in-house exercise classes, gym, and wellness benefits are nice. PRH also offers a number of professional development opportunities and some mentorship programs.

Cons

In editorial specifically, it is very difficult to achieve recognition and/or promotion through hard work. Moving from editorial assistant to editor is likely to take 5-6 years or more in some departments, and as a result there is a lot of turnover. There is an expectation that editors and assistants will work constantly without overtime, check email while out of the office, and avoid taking time off. As the company is slow to recognize achievements and promote talent, so it is slow to change on the whole. The publishing industry is in desperate need of innovation, and yet publishers are afraid to experiment. There is a culture of fear around risk. Management tends to miss the forest for the trees.

1.0
Jul 20, 2023

Abusive Management

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Half days on summer weekends - Working on new releases for big authors - Insurance - Some creative writing needed - Female staff majority

Cons

- No training benchmarks or transparency - Micromanaging and bullying - No accountability, little professionalism - Not paid enough to afford living in any city let alone large metropolitan area - Other senior managers/employees given direct credit for work I had done

Viewing 4 - 6 of 1,191 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,555 Penguin Random House reviews submitted anonymously by Penguin Random House employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Penguin Random House is right for you.