We Finally Seem to be on the Move - Product Manager Cengage Employee Review

4.0
Jun 9, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There is new energy around the company these days, and management seems to be aware of our biggest concerns about communication, vision and execution seem to have a viable plan to address these problems. In the past two months, my degree of responsibility, power to execute on plans I make, and understanding of the company's goals and commitments have improved exponentially. There seem to be far fewer layers of approval (or disapproval) between me and my goals and lately it is much easier to get the necessary people on board to make things happen. My colleagues have always been top notch. I continue to enjoy the opportunity to work with really great people.

Cons

Many of these "pros" are tentative. A lot depends on us being able to maintain our newly acquired momentum. There is a lot of uncertainty in this industry. It is clear that education is ALWAYS going to be important, but In The Future, none of us is certain who will be delivering it and what will be the best way to earn a living making education happen. I am willing to give the new management and new organizational structure a try, but have decided not to pursue a promotion for which I think I would be perfect because it would involve moving my family, and I'm not yet willing to bet the farm on my new found enthusiasm for this company.

Explore other reviews about Cengage

5.0
Mar 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Total rewards, time off, great people and culture

Cons

Lots of changes and uncertainty at times

1.0
Jul 13, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The individuals below the management level are good people, with some good people at management but C-Suite is horrible.

Cons

C-Suite hides their plans under corporate speak. Cengage was a family owned private company and they sold and ever since then has had, debt, schemes to shuffle and restructure debt while implementing RIFs after RIFs after RIFs...never ending and amazingly has been in increased this last year. From their actions it's outsource as much as you can of company operations and squeeze value from Intellectual Property. Look how many times they've renamed themselves. They had a CTO join for about a month or two until she realized it was a role with no team, no authority and left. The CEO is amazing at spin, you hear "great, great, great" corporate speak as the reality on the ground is "this failed, that failed..what!? they're gone!...what they moved that department offshore!...what!? that department is now a vendor relationship...oh we're not DEI focused because the wind changed". The trend is contraction not expansion, no ground breaking innovation. My jaded view from college on expensive books has only grew since I see how the sausage is made.

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