Baker & Taylor Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – my boss is very friendly and hands on . My schedule is flexible and I have plenty of time for a personal life.

Cons – I dont feel the Reps get any chance of promotions.

Advice to Senior Management – Pleas look in your lower ranks for your next leadership role.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – flexibility of schedule, support of management, work changes often. Allowed freedom to work my own hours.

Cons – pay is a bit low, a bit of miscommunication between B&T and stores at times

Advice to Senior Management – pay raises would be great. More hands on communication from management. shipping info on website would be very helpful to plan work week.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – Very little overtime, good pay, was able to work without a lot of micro-management, opportunity to learn the the book industry.

Cons – No room for advancement, no raises, if you are not apart of an existing clique you won't fit in there.

Former Employee – worked at Baker & Taylor full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – The organization distributes media - i.e. books (physical and digital), CDs and DVDs. A pro for the media buff as employees receive discounts on products they would like to purchase. The variety of products that are received and distributed throughout the facility are virtually endless.

Cons – Not a lot of room for professional growth.

Advice to Senior Management – Seek internal talent and nurture professional growth. There truly may be diamonds in the rough within the ranks and it is important that this is a major focus, as well.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – In a highly competitive industry, B&T is doing what it can to stay afloat, but often at the expense of their human capital

Cons – No raises in 2012, and a further statement to employees that further cost cuts will be made; will one or more sites be closed as a result?

Advice to Senior Management – While being a private company lessens the need for disclosure in the public domain, this should not extend to keeping your own employees in the dark for long periods of time

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – Good co-workers
Good for people who like books
Good for folks not looking to advance very far

Cons – Severe lack of communication between corporate entities and groups/departments.
The company invests in a lot of upper management headcount, but gives little relief to the people doing the day-to-day functions that keep the company going.
Horizontal structure makes it nearly impossible to advance.
Raises are also non-existent.

Advice to Senior Management – Workload expectations are near impossible sometimes. Please pay attention to the people in lower level positions. They are a valuable asset to the company, not disposable drones.

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor

Pros – It can be a fun place to work at times. Management doesn't hover over your shoulder every minute. You are left alone to do your job, and they only say something if you screw up something big.

Cons – The drama with some of the coworkers. Rumors spread like wildfire. Feels like you do more work than what you get paid for. Can be quite dusty and dirty most of the time.

Advice to Senior Management – Recognize those that do a good job more. People react well to compliments. Don't try to fix something if it's not broken. Listen to input more from those who actually do the job.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Baker & Taylor full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Great way to learn about the dwindling book industry.

Cons – Management lacks direction. People in key positions are there because they have a connection to the current CEO not because they are experts in their field. The environment is very hostile and unwelcoming for anyone outside of that inner circle. Far too much time is spent on office politics. Turnover is high except for the handful of people who have been there 20 years. The computer systems and IT department are 10 years behind but they believe they are cutting edge. The company has a history of being sold and works the numbers to look good on the market. Their book and video business is dying and this company is suffering from lack of leadership. I would not recommend this to anyone unless you are just counting the days to retirement.

Advice to Senior Management – These managers would never accept advice. They believe everyone else is the problem as a revolving door of people come and go. They enjoy playing the blam game, they are not capable of improvement.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Baker & Taylor full-time

Pros – Baker & Taylor still plays a major role in the publishing world and working here offers a great opportunity to learn the industry and get to know publishers.

Cons – Benefits are absolutely horrible. VERY minimal vacation time, no paid sick days, and barely any holidays recognized. Employees are forced to use vacation time if they can't get to work in 2 feet of snow, and are mostly not given the opportunity to work from home in such cases. There's an atmosphere of secrecy and elitism that prevents intelligent, valuable employees from contributing to the success of the business. A select few in upper management hold all of the power and do not show any respect for the individuals who run the business for them. A truly demoralizing place to work.

Advice to Senior Management – Learn to respect the people that you work with. Consult with the people running your business before you make major business decisions. Be respectful of other people's schedules - attend the meetings you say you will attend, or let people know you're not available. Simple courtesies would go a LONG way and are sorely lacking.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Baker & Taylor full-time for more than 8 years

Pros – I've never met such a great group of people to work WITH -- everyone works hard, your coworkers are good, kind, helpful, and supportive people.

Cons – Upper management does not communicate effectively with the rank and file, who go above and beyond every day for almost no recognition. Human Resources dept. experiences consistent turnover, which is a red flag. Benefits are among the worst in the industry. Many in upper management are territorial to a fault. Raises are almost nonexistent, public praise is far too infrequent.

Advice to Senior Management – Value the hard work your employees put in every day instead of treating them like badly-behaved children. Salary and benefits do not begin to match the effort that employees put in. This company used to be like a close-knit family, new management treats employees more like indentured servants.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend