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 1,558 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 71% of employees would recommend working at Penguin Random House to a friend and 74% 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 decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

71% 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, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penguin Random House ?

Editorial Assistant (51) , 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 192 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 131 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 89 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 65 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 51 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 140 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 34 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 25 reviews)); "If you are paired with a difficult manager, your life will be a waking nightmare." ((in 14 reviews)); "Upper management worries too much about fixing things that aren't even broken & then proceeds to neglect actual issues that should be focused on instead." ((in 12 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

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Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

71% would recommend to a friend

(314 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

75% approve of CEO

74% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Culture & values

3.9

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.4

Senior management

3.3

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Career opportunities

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

314 reviews

Reviews about "Compensation"

Return to all reviews

3.0

Sep 17, 2016

Overworked and in upheaval, but not alone

Associate editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is amazing, such a welcoming and warm group - like family Exciting projects and talented authors Open door policy with higher-ups West Village adjacent location is wonderful - so many lunch choices!! (Too bad they are moving the office to midtown in 3 years)

Cons

Layoffs have caused distrust and feelings of helplessness People rarely say what needs to be said about issues with poor management Overwhelming workload with no overtime pay

4.0

Aug 19, 2016

Good company to work for; difficult to advance at certain imprints

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Penguin Random House cares about its employees. Fabulous benefits, great facility, occasional bonuses, fitness reimbursement--the works. Strong values and commitment to publishing great books.

Cons

It's difficult to get promoted at certain imprints--especially those that are more established. Also, depending on the department you work in, work/life balance becomes nearly impossible to maintain.

4.0

Aug 10, 2016

Editorial Assistant

Editorial assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance and benefits. The option to have summer hours is amazing, as is their generous vacation policy. Great access to loads of free books. The company culture depends on whether you work at Penguin or Random House. Penguin is a bit more casual, while Random House is definitely more corporate. Both are fun environments to work in, and everyone (literally) is always willing to lend a hand to get a book out on time or answer questions you have. We're all trying to help each other make the best books possible, and it shows.

Cons

Salaries could be a little higher, but hey, it's publishing. Promotions don't happen all that often, at least in editorial.

Viewing 265 - 267 of 314 Reviews

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Crawfordsville, Indiana: Light Picker/Packer: 3rd shift $18.40/hr

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Reviews about "Compensation"

Overworked and in upheaval, but not alone

Good company to work for; difficult to advance at certain imprints

Editorial Assistant

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