Elsevier Development Editor reviews

3.6

24% would recommend to a friend

(52 total reviews)

Kumsal Bayazit

91% approve of CEO

11% positive business outlook

Development Editor employees have rated Elsevier with 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 52 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Development Editor professionals have a good working experience there. Elsevier is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Development Editor professionals compared to other employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

52 reviews
2.0
Nov 21, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very good benefits -- 401K company match, we even had a pension (now gone), and health insurance options at reasonable contribution rates. Pay was good overall in the past, but then the annual raises were so tiny they essentially stopped.

Cons

Elsevier, as the parent company, did not understand what we were doing in our small division. They therefore ignored us and did not provide the resources we needed to produce our publications. We had repeated layoffs, leaving behind a skeleton crew, and then they sold us to a company that appears to be even worse (cheaper!)

2.0
Sep 23, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The overall company Elsevier is good and has some outstanding divisions and leaders in the marketplace. Unfortunately, the Science & Technology publishing division is a set-back for the company as a whole. Here are the great things about the parent company: - Excellent benefits - Flexibility in work locations - International appeal and recognition - Brand name - Innovative products

Cons

The cons are very specific to the Science & Technology publishing group. Having exposure to many parts of the overall company, it is painfully obvious that this division does not represent it's strengths in any way. This really the fault of the management as there is some amazing talent within, but they always end up leaving because of the way the business is run. - Management (S&T) needs a complete overhaul. They make decision that seem to almost ruin the company. - Publishing practices are extremely outdated, they do things like skip copy editing to keep up with competitors, have no electronic book practices or plans, and completely outsource all production. - Progress is stifled. While many employees are talented and have great ambition and ideas, whenever these are brought to a meeting, they are immediately squelched by old school thoughts. - Publishing Committee Meetings are extremely negative and always about how nothing can be sold and we are always behind the competition. - No promotional opportunities from within. Talented employees are often overlooked and people who are incompetent and fail often seem to get promoted. This is usually due to senior manager promoting their friends with complete disregard to employees that perform. When this happens, the good people leave and then it's even worse.

1.0
May 20, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great colleagues at lower levels, pride in the quality of the content produced, people take personal responsibility for maintaining high standards in the face of these being eroded by falling production values and the deep rift between Editorial and Operations silos.

Cons

The (obviously essential) rush towards eReader and online books is not being properly resourced. Staff without requisite training being dumped with the workload, despite deep staff cuts and without any reduction in their existing work. Management make sudden and unplanned demands for information and analysis from commissioning staff but don't reduce commissioning expectations, while seeming to make no progress towards effective solutions to the IT challenges of the move to e-pub. Operations cut service levels to editorial groups, state that there is no loss of quality, and noone in management calls them on it.

Viewing 46 - 48 of 52 Reviews

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