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Principal Financial Group

Engaged Employer

Principal Financial Group reviews

3.8

72% would recommend to a friend

(2,587 total reviews)
avatar

Deanna Strable

81% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Principal Financial Group has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,587 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Principal Financial Group employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Financial Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
1.0
May 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unlimited FTO, work from home, good benefits.

Cons

Poor leadership, corporate directive and communication. Poor incentives. Will higher new employees at 110k but will allow current hires to work in the 70s/80s and give no raises. Ask for highest range. Bad morale. Would not recommend a friend to work there.

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Principal Financial Group Response
1y
Thank you for sharing your perspective. As a leading provider of retirement solutions and employee benefits, we offer our employees a competitive benefits package. One of our guiding principles of our global pay philosophy is to be market driven. This means that total pay is set and administered in alignment with the external labor markets in which we compete for talent. We use third-party market data to help ensure base salary and incentives are appropriately aligned.
2.0
May 27, 2025

Outsourcing and AI

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great coworkers. Not much else.

Cons

They are outsourcing analyst jobs to AI and overseas. The quality of decisions and customer service is nosediving.

3.0
May 20, 2025

Not terrible, but slowly decling

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There is generally great work-life balance and flexibility. A great company for people with families. Benefits outside of medical like a pension, stock option discounts, and gym reimbursements are a big plus. Depending on your department, leadership is generally competent and have realistic expectations. Principal is a stable, "boring" company; so there is typically good job security.

Cons

While our benefits are a definite plus, there's a growing feeling among the team that our overall compensation isn't keeping pace with the market. This isn't just a whisper; it's become a topic of open conversation, even in our all-hands meetings. It really points to a deeper issue with our current compensation structure. When raises are tied to strict budgets, often leading to minimal or even zero increases, and we're not accounting for inflation or loyalty through years of service, it creates a tough situation. Employees can feel like they're in a constant race for a small slice of the pie, which inevitably affects morale. We're seeing a pattern where talented people realize they might actually get a better offer by leaving and then potentially coming back. That's a strong signal that our approach to retaining talent might need a fresh look. The current bonus structure, while well-intentioned, seems to be causing some confusion and disappointment. Employees are often given an expected bonus percentage, but the reality is that the company and individual performance multipliers rarely hit 100% simultaneously. This means an anticipated 15% bonus can often land closer to 11-12%. This gap between expectation and reality can be really deflating and makes the bonus feel less like a true reward for hard work. If you're within a certain distance to the office, you're required to be in office at least 3 days a week. Many teams have several remote employees, so all meetings are still conducted over web.

avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. As a leading provider of retirement solutions and employee benefits, we offer our employees a competitive benefits package. One of our guiding principles of our global pay philosophy is to be market driven. This means that total pay is set and administered in alignment with the external labor markets in which we compete for talent. We use third-party market data to help ensure base salary and incentives are appropriately aligned. We remain committed to flexibility and supporting a variety of work arrangements to help balance the value employees place on flexibility with the value of working together in person when and where we can.
Viewing 154 - 156 of 2,587 Reviews

Glassdoor has 3,078 Principal Financial Group reviews submitted anonymously by Principal Financial Group employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Principal Financial Group is right for you.