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Penguin Random House

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Disappointing - Anonymous employee Penguin Random House Employee Review

2.0
Aug 17, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing people, I've never worked with nicer and more creative people. Everyone is passionate about books and it shows in everything they do so it's often a joy to be in the office, surrounded by that atmosphere. Great books as well. Summer hours was good.

Cons

Awful communication in my division, everyone was being told different things at various stages, no one ever knew which way was up. Terrible progression, employees are expected to work 2 levels above their role before even being considered for a promotion, and when they finally get one, it comes with a measly £1k raise. Shocking pay, especially for the amount of work people do.

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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