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Penguin Random House

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Terrible Pay, No Advancement, Good Time Off - Marketer Penguin Random House Employee Review

2.0
Apr 29, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good healthcare and time off, including week between Christmas and New Years

Cons

Truly terrible pay/compensation. It is impossible to work at PRH without a second job, family money/trust fund, being married to someone who makes a living wage, or going into debt to merely survive. Now one of the lowest paying publishers in the industry, not able to keep pace with compensation trends at the other Big 5 houses. One is essentially paid in books - employees can get more books than anyone could ever hope to read in a lifetime - but it's important to remember that books do not put food on the table or pay a power bill. Except for a very small number of chosen few (if you're reading this then you are most likely not chosen), the majority of employees are stuck in their roles for years without career development or advancement, regardless of work performance, success track, or department they work in.

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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