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      Cengage

      Engaged Employer

      Cengage reviews

      2.8

      30% would recommend to a friend

      (2,407 total reviews)
      avatar

      Michael Hansen

      38% approve of CEO

      23% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      3.4

      Work/Life balance

      3.2

      Diversity & inclusion

      2.8

      Compensation and benefits

      2.7

      Culture & values

      2.3

      Senior management

      2.3

      Career opportunities

      Cengage has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,407 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Cengage employee rating is 25% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      2K reviews
      1.0
      May 1, 2016

      SInking ship

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Most employees are truly passionate about the company's goals and about "making a difference", super-competent, hard-working, and smart. A lot of them have been with the company long enough to have the important institutional knowledge that has been keeping the company's machine well oiled.

      Cons

      Very frequent reorgs/layoffs, constant change in focus and direction, which lead to extremely low morale. Middle and upper management seem to compete for visibility and the attention of the executive team for their own survival and leave their charges to fend for themselves. Sudden and frequent changes in direction are sold as the clever and nimble actions of an informed executive team but results keep remaining poor and the only solution for that team is to lay off a great number of employees in order to make "their number." However hard an employee might want to believe in that team's competence and honesty, in the end, with the constant instability, incoherent policies, one cannot help but become cynical. A great many who have been around do leave, as a preemptive strategy, before being laid off--and perhaps that is the executive team's goal: to shed the existing labor force and replace it with low-paying, inexperienced staff.

      avatar
      Cengage Response
      10y
      Thanks for posting. A few years ago when I started, I would have described us as a leaky ship in calm waters. Now we’re a very stable ship in rough waters. Neither is easy, but I would much rather be in our current boat! Given your 10 or more years here, you have undoubtedly experienced what many of us feel: The pace of change is accelerating in our industry. Cengage’s goals remain the same: We need to make a difference in the lives of our student customers. To achieve that, we need to make adjustments in what we prioritize and how we work. We are seeing the results of our strategy and flexibility to respond to customer needs. MindTap is a great example – without the changes we’ve made in the past, we could not have created this product – and now it is tremendously improving student outcomes. Nonetheless, in a change environment, it is easy to become cynical. With your deep experience here, I hope you will keep an open mind on this next phase of our journey.
      3.0
      Apr 25, 2016

      Laid back, yet, lacking proper communication.

      Associate media producer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Laid back atmosphere, management doesn't breath down your neck, decent pay, benefits are okay, amenities offered are respectable, nice employees.

      Cons

      Hard to grow, communication is lacking, breeds a lot of finger pointing and selfishness, bad management, expensive benefits, don't value their employees.

      1.0
      Nov 13, 2015

      Low pressure, but not a leading company

      Anonymous
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Lower management are all great. They know that they have little resources so treat their employees well.

      Cons

      Not innovative at all, low pay, over worked, executives set high unreachable benchmarks which means no bonuses, yet executives still receive large bonuses, executives more interested in making themselves look good. Middle management are told to be there own CEO - which translates to no funding and if you don't meet your numbers you get fired. Constant turnover in middle management as a result. Executives take no responsibility.

      avatar
      Cengage Response
      10y
      Thank you for your insights. I agree that we are successfully undertaking a major transformation of the company; we are rapidly nearing a crossover point in which digital product sales will overtake declining print. That is one of numerous positive inflection points for us. However, change comes at an emotional cost for many, and it comes in more tangible ways for those whose roles are most deeply affected. I would value your specific suggestions to both practically address your concerns (for example, your description of goal-setting sounds unreasonable to me too) and ease the sense of fatigue that often accompanies change initiatives at this stage, while still promoting our business evolution. Please consider e-mailing me directly.
      Viewing 160 - 162 of 2,407 Reviews
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      Glassdoor has 2,605 Cengage reviews submitted anonymously by Cengage employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Cengage is right for you.