Is Penguin Random House a good company to work for?

Penguin Random House has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 1,557 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 73% of employees would recommend working at Penguin Random House to a friend and 71% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Penguin Random House have been left by employees working as Editorial Intern , Intern and Director .

Does Penguin Random House pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penguin Random House employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penguin Random House . This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

73% of Penguin Random House employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penguin Random House 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penguin Random House ?

Editorial Assistant (50) , Editor (33) , Intern (29) , Editorial Intern (25) , Publicity Assistant (22) , Designer (21) , Marketing Assistant (20) , Publicity Intern (15) , Assistant Editor (13) , Director (13) , Senior Designer (13) , Manager (12) , Graphic Designer (11) , Marketing Coordinator (11) , Author (10)

What are the pros of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefit as well as perks" ((in 183 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 135 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 92 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 66 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 52 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"The pay is low and raises are below the inflation rate regardless of company performance." ((in 143 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 32 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 26 reviews)); "Pay rises and career progression is slow" ((in 14 reviews)); "You can get a great manager and be the happiest on earth." ((in 14 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penguin Random House layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Penguin Random House locations?

New York , Westminster , Crawfordsville , Brooklyn , Baltimore , Hampstead , Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Reno , Woodstock , Kirkwood , Forest Hills , Austin , Victoria , Gulfport , England , Carmel , Indianapolis , Cincinnati , Emeryville , Mountain View , Iowa City , Seattle , New Milford , Atlanta , Old Tappan , Remote , Antares , Canada

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(1,193 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,193 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Penguin Random House has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,193 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Penguin Random House employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

5.0

Feb 17, 2016

One of the best employers I've ever worked for

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

People are genuinely nice to one another, the conditions are good and you are treated like a grown up. There is a chance to work with great products and people and you feel like you are doing something that is genuinely worthwhile.

Cons

There are a lot of people who have only ever worked in publishing and who therefore have nothing to compare it with. This means they can be inward looking both in terms of the company and the work. It isn't a high paying industry, but there are other reasons that you would work there.

4.0

Feb 14, 2016

Great Community, Mediocre Pay

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You enter book publishing for the love of the job, not the money. Nearly everybody is kind and a pleasure to work with. The company handles changes in the marketplace like ebooks, self-publishing, and retail landscape with a level head and smart strategies. The CEO overflows with energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for the kind of cultural influence books have on society.

Cons

Pay. Again, you don't do this for the money. While the company is probably the best in the industry at adapting with the technology of the time, its relatively behind any start-up or other brand-recognizable company from another industry. It's a large organization, with a lot of entrenched beliefs that cannot be changed or take too long to convince of a better alternative.

4.0

Feb 7, 2016

Short Term Impressions

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

As with any large company, it was clear they had tremendous resources to work with. In the marketing dept especially, they had solid budgets and a repertoire of popular authors to work with. Friendly environment.

Cons

Not a lot of interest in changing the system, reliance on previous methods of doing things. A very established, corporate-heavy culture.

Viewing 1063 - 1065 of 1,193 Reviews

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