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 181 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 134 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 93 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 66 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 45 reviews))

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

"Pay was low and that was about it" ((in 141 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 29 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 27 reviews)); "Limited career progression" ((in 13 reviews)); "Long hours running into weekends" ((in 13 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

4.0

Jan 28, 2016

Overall A Great Place to Work

Associate editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Random House has excellent benefits and work-life balance. You get almost 30 paid vacation days per year, and very competitive salary and healthcare (including low deductibles). It's a beautiful new building with an in-house cafeteria, yoga and pilates classes, etc.

Cons

There has been a decrease in morale among employees in recent years, with high turnover among staff.

5.0

Jan 27, 2016

Warm and friendly, though bureaucratic

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The culture is friendly and collegial across many departments. There is a real sense of community. People are welcoming towards newcomers and generally willing to help each other out. It's a great place to start a career and pick up a well-rounded skill set.

Cons

Starting salaries are low, though competitive for the industry. Some departments can be slow to promote, even compared to other companies. As with many companies of its size, PRH can sometimes be annoyingly bureaucratic (this has become more true after the merger between Penguin and Random House).

4.0

Jan 27, 2016

Great opportunity

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great work culture, everyone is very friendly and social. Lots of free books, solid benefits, and the work is really rewarding. You'll learn a lot about the publishing business, make great contacts, and have plenty of networking opportunities. The company's internal learning program is also really helpful if you're interested in learning new technical skills.

Cons

Limited room for career advancement, and the pay isn't great -- hey, that's publishing.

Viewing 1069 - 1071 of 1,193 Reviews

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