Crain Communications Reviews

Pros

-for editorial staff, access and visibility to heavyweights in the niche you serve
-able to interact with and learn from senior leaders in your publishing unit
-very respectable benefits package, including profit-sharing
-relatively small, autonomous publishing units make it possible for individual contributors to make a big impact

Cons

-potentially very heavy workload, depending on the publishing unit
-accountability isn't flexible the same way job duties are
-effectively no face-to-face access to support staff, since they are based at corporate headquarters
-disruptive changes in the way people consume content has made the publishing industry more challenging and uncertain

Advice to Senior Management

-Make peace with your brother and either consolidate leadership or, at the very least, communicate more so that you can avoid each other's mistakes and benefit from each other's wins
-Hire someone to handle corporate communications
-Involve your publishing unit leaders more in organization-wide decisions so they can help you defend them

Pros

Strong balance sheet and overall financial position

Cons

Publishing/News industry is in transition.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on leadership development.

Pros

Wide variety of titles and events in its global portfolio. Leader in various sectors. Work in print and online media.

Cons

Aging company with very poor development opportunities within the business. If you're under 40, you're talked to as if you're a child. When there are changes in the business, there is minimal support to assist with the transition. Poor holiday allowance.

Pros

you can work independently
people are nice

Cons

career prospects are poor
hierarchy

Advice to Senior Management

give me a break

Pros

You will definitely learn a great deal about journalism and about business in this environment, but don't pin your hopes on moving up the ladder, especially as the hiring is very slow. An internship is a good start, but it won't get you an "in." Use this time making good impressions and it may lead to an entry-level position which will get you an "in." They hire from their pool of entry-level positions, so do good work and be willing to learn, make suggestions, and challenge the way things have always been done.

Cons

Sometimes they don't appreciate really good workers, and cut out positions regardless of the need within a department. But compared with elsewhere in the industry, especially non-trade pubs, it's not so bad.

Advice to Senior Management

Appreciate the talent coming into your intern pool. You could be losing them to bigger publications and competitors, especially if they felt like they weren't treated well by management.

Pros

Some very bright managers just below the ownership level.

Cons

Inability to evolve to meet changing market conditions.

Advice to Senior Management

Create a companywide management culture while retaining editorial independence at each unit.

Pros

There are some awesome people and great talented journalists.

Cons

No team spirit. Treats only a select few people very well and the majority poorly.

Advice to Senior Management

Acknowledge and reward talented people who play by the rules

Pros

Rance Crain is a class act, too bad he is not the real CEO. A really good finance team, with a great budgeting system. A profit sharing system in good years. A little pension plan, (great if you are a Crain lifer)

Cons

In May 2009 implemented a 10% pay cut they held in place for 15 months killed morale. The company also drove out some really good talent due to personality conflicts. Never seemed to have stability in the Audience Development department, compared to other cross departments .

The company plays it's favorites, and in recent years it has lost very "good" talent due to mismangement.

Also many executives/publishers are very arrogant when they do not need to be.

Pros

Excellent place for developing talent. Lots of opportunities for writing interesting stories. A very talented staff of writers and editors.

Cons

There aren't a lot of opportunities for full-time employment there, most temporary and intern work. Budget for salaries seems tight.

Advice to Senior Management

You have a real gem of a publication here with an incredibly talented and motivated staff. Make sure you keep fighting for the resources to make sure they thrive.

Pros

Crain has decent employee benefits and its employees are quite nice. There is no CEO but the company is essentially run by two brothers, one of whom, Rance is a decent guy but somewhat pulled back from managing. The profit sharing plan was once exemplary but hard times have eroded it. Likewise, bonuses are no longer generous the way they once were.

Cons

Senior management is arrogant and lacks vision. As a result, this company is no longer a good place to work. It is mainly riding on a reputation built before the existing company leader took over. This is no place to work for any young person hoping to build a career. It also isn't a place for any executive over 50 to be since executives tend to get bounced once they cross the 50 mark.
By the way, this site presents Rance Crain as the company leader. His brother Keith is the leader.

Advice to Senior Management

Bring in some fresh blood and that doesn't mean members of the Crain family. You need new ideas and vision and change. You can't cut your way back to your glory days.