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Principal Financial Group

Engaged Employer

Head in the sand - Anonymous employee Principal Financial Group Employee Review

3.0
Aug 22, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Principal does have a good benefits package (although that might not be as strong of an offering in the future). A large, fortune 500 company, Principal is a good place to network and bulls some experience for a resume

Cons

Principal has a serous lack of diversity, not just in terms of demographics, but in terms of thinking and style. Different perspectives are not supported here and will be squelched by those who will use "company culture" to their defense and detriment ( why you will often here "that's the way we've always done it"). Principal employees know that the company heavily favors external talent compared to internal talent which is why you see employees leave for a competitor for a year or two just to come back (obtain larger salary jumps compared to had they stayed at principal). Principal often does not consider how macro policies reinforce their workforce.

Explore other reviews about Principal Financial Group

5.0
Jun 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good FTO policy good opportunity for career development flexible work arrangements

Cons

health insurance sucks - United annual reviews- everything's made up and the points don't matter more and more pressure to be in-office despite team members being remote

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Principal Financial Group Response
1d
Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback. Your input is valuable as we work to improve as an employer.
2.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance and benefits. Principal offers a pension which is unheard of in today’s age.

Cons

Pay is below average and Principal does not offer inflation raises. Once you hit the midpoint of your salary, you will get a 0% raise until you’re promoted, which will take multiple years regardless of performance. Performance reviews are vague and often used against employees to avoid promotions. At least in my department, I’ve yet to see any of the remote workers be promoted. This is starting to affect attrition and we’re already starting to see people leaving. It’s well known at this point that the best way to get promoted is to leave Principal and get rehired, which even leadership has stated publicly. This is a huge frustration and blow to morale, as it starts to feel like employees need to compete against their co-workers for raises.

1
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Principal Financial Group Response
1w
We appreciate you sharing your feedback. As a leader in retirement solutions and employee benefits, we strive to provide our employees with a competitive benefits package. Our global pay philosophy is guided by market-driven principles. and we leverage third-party market data to ensure our base salary and incentives remain appropriately competitive.
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