Does Crain Communications pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Crain Communications employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Crain Communications. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Crain Communications?

39% of Crain Communications employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Crain Communications 3.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.5 for culture and values and 2.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Crain Communications?

Reporter (19) , Editor (10) , Manager (10) , Account Executive (6) , Director (5) , Marketing (5) , Editorial (4) , Intern (4) , Journalist (4) , Senior Reporter (4) , Business Analyst (3) , Editorial Intern (3) , Project Manager (3) , Sales (3) , Ad Sales Director (2)

What are the pros of working at Crain Communications according to real employee reviews?

"great people to work with" ((in 29 reviews)); "Good income and benefits for someone starting their career in the business world." ((in 15 reviews)); "Good work life balance." ((in 11 reviews)); "Salaries are competitive." ((in 11 reviews)); "Approachable colleagues and superiors" ((in 11 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Crain Communications according to real employee reviews?

"Dying industry and poor management" ((in 21 reviews)); "Low pay and no chance for advancement" ((in 11 reviews)); "There are way too many managers to report to so there's a weird reporting structure." ((in 9 reviews)); "Continued cuts and layoffs across the board, though faring better than a lot of other news/trade pubs" ((in 9 reviews)); "Not a lot of room for advancement." ((in 7 reviews))

What are employees saying about Crain Communications layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Crain Communications layoffs and their outlook for job security at Crain Communications in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Crain Communications locations?

Detroit , New York , Chicago , Conway , Akron , Cleveland , Grand Rapids , Houston , Cuyahoga Falls , Mountain View , Farmington Hills , United States Coast Guard - Air Station Sacramento

Crain Communications reviews

2.8

39% would recommend to a friend

(292 total reviews)

KC Crain

47% approve of CEO

39% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Crain Communications has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 292 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Crain Communications employee rating is 25% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

292 reviews

3.0

Apr 26, 2021

Culture of company changed dramatically

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great people, wonderful brands, entrepreneurial, interest in innovating/moving forward

Cons

New senior management in 2017 changed the culture in a pretty big way. Went from a family culture to one that did not value people at all. Pandemic exacerbated this change. Eventually this new culture was a game changer for me, and for many others I believe. Many senior level people left without having another job in late 2020. I believe that says it all.

3.0

Apr 11, 2018

Mixed Bag

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of very smart, hard-working and dedicated people work at this company. It's a solid place to launch your career, with a reputation for quality content and editorial integrity. Experiences differ from department to department, but overall management is reasonable in terms of work-life balance and flexibility.

Cons

The company struggles in a changing media climate, trying to figure out how to monetize as print declines. This has resulted in deep cuts in benefits and perks that once made Crain a great place to work. Management makes decisions in silos and rarely communicates the direction things are going. In turn, a lot is left to the imagination, thus sparking the rumor mill. This applies to both the individual brands and corporate.

2.0

Mar 2, 2018

Low pay, stale culture, Crain family out of touch with employee needs & value

Event manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Crains has a recognizable brand name, so having it on your resume is good for your inevitable job search.

Cons

Low pay to begin with and laughable raises - 1.5% was the highest possible raise company wide one year. Corporate recently cut back on employee benefits, insurance is a high deductible plan and the corporate HSA contribution was eliminated. Many pubs are cutting staff and operating with bare bones staff, very high turnover. People are not valued and there are limited opportunities for growth.

Viewing 16 - 18 of 292 Reviews

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