Comfortable, Friendly, and Slow to Change
Pros
Office culture is generally friendly and people are eager to help. The benefits are good. Perks include free books and a large number of vacation days. Company discounts at museums and in-house exercise classes, gym, and wellness benefits are nice. PRH also offers a number of professional development opportunities and some mentorship programs.
Cons
In editorial specifically, it is very difficult to achieve recognition and/or promotion through hard work. Moving from editorial assistant to editor is likely to take 5-6 years or more in some departments, and as a result there is a lot of turnover. There is an expectation that editors and assistants will work constantly without overtime, check email while out of the office, and avoid taking time off. As the company is slow to recognize achievements and promote talent, so it is slow to change on the whole. The publishing industry is in desperate need of innovation, and yet publishers are afraid to experiment. There is a culture of fear around risk. Management tends to miss the forest for the trees.
