Cengage reviews

2.7

28% would recommend to a friend

(526 total reviews)
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Michael Hansen

34% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

526 reviews

Reviews about "Compensation"

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3.0
Sep 4, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-People are amazing across the company -Flexible work with remote/office (now only KY office remains) -Salary was decent -Work/life balance excellent, no pressure to work extra/odd hours, good amount of PTO/sick time (including wellness week off in December) -Great employee resource groups and local events

Cons

I took on responsibilities beyond my job title, but was never given a title change/promotion to reflect that. Over the past 3 years, Cengage has had an investor group making suggestions/demands to cut expenses across the company to improve profits. It was given the euphemism "Project Horizon" and every few months there were more layoffs across most departments, sometimes entire teams. No reason was given to who it affected, many times it was key people with unique knowledge in systems, so those left had a harder time. I was in the latest layoff affecting IT, which got rid of half the remaining desktop support staff. Those still there are going to be overworked and not be able to provide the same level of superior support we were known for, so productivity for everyone will take a hit. Plus, many employees just have this feeling of "when will I be next to go"? The leadership team would try to quell fears by saying the major restructuring is done, but then there always seemed to be justification for more a few months later. It's just not a good environment to be in. I loved so many things about working here, especially the amazing people, but the higher ups just do not value IT support like they used to.

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Cengage Response
10mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for your more than 10 years with Cengage Group. We’ve recently undergone a significant transformation, and as part of our culture of continuous improvement, we’re focused on driving profitability, efficiency, and simplicity. While this has included difficult decisions—such as layoffs and changes to team structures—we believe these steps are necessary to reduce complexity and strengthen the business long term. We recognize that change can create added pressure on remaining staff in periods of transition, and we remain committed to supporting our teams. IT continues to be a critical part of our operations, and a team that is also focused on simplifying, enabling and adapting. I appreciate your candid feedback and wish you all the best in your next chapter. Best, Morgan Wolbe, Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Chief Transformation Officer
2.0
Aug 1, 2025

Toxic management culture undermines everything

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are incredibly smart, passionate people working here who truly care about learners. Some teams are doing innovative, high-impact work despite organizational dysfunction. Remote work is a plus.

Cons

Management is the Achilles’ heel of this organization. Strategic decisions are made in silos by a small inner circle, often without input from those closest to the work. There’s a bait-and-switch culture where people who have been hired for one thing are pushed into something totally different. Short-term wins are prioritized at the expense of sustainable impact. They’ve resorted to pushing staff out through performance improvement plans (PIPs) to avoid severance obligations. It’s demoralizing to watch strong performers get sidelined or micromanaged out without real feedback or support. Strategic priorities shift constantly, internal politics reign, and accountability is applied inconsistently (especially when upper management is involved.) Psychological safety is at an all-time low.

3.0
Jul 31, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good pay Benefits. Work from home

Cons

lay offs...outsourcing to other countries

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