Reader's Digest Reviews

Pros

Product is loved by customers, so there's a matter of pride and feeling good about what you do. Immediate coworkers are great people.

Cons

Same problems you find at any large company, like outsourced departments and less-than flawless communications channels in places. I love my job, my little area of the company, but that's like going to Ellis Island and saying you love America.

Advice to Senior Management

Without walking in their shoes, it's hard to say if they do the best with the resources they have. From where I sit, everything appears to be running at the high end of just fine.

Pros

It's a job, and the business has a great history.

Cons

Even one of the reviews in glass door seems to have been written by PR. There is spin everywhere and no confidence in marketing, and hence no investment dollars. There is a long term slide in the top line being offset by staff cuts. No investment or new ideas as the people capable of doing this were jettisoned. We are now run by number crunchers. People are reduced to agreeing with the mass and holding on to their job. Even the investors want out and subscribers are voting with their feet.

Advice to Senior Management

Come clean. Enough babble about major brand, multi channel, curating etc and say it like it is. Ie running it down for cash and selling off....or get a real strategy and invest in products consumers want to buy.

Pros

A great heritage and some valuable portfolio assets.

Cons

Ongoing financial and managerial instability.

Advice to Senior Management

Make the cuts and changes you must, then commit to build and move forward.

Pros

Good history, Legitimate, Top in its fields, Household name, International

Cons

No career path/growth set for many. Uncertain future.

Pros

fair compensation, good work life balance, lots of time off, and decent benefits, although they have declined in recent years

Cons

no place for advancement, raises are non-existent, management is overcompensated, and information exists in a vacuum and no further plans, etc. are shared with employees

Pros

The companies name. I thought working there would have shown me proper execution on handling larger corporate business practices only to learn that the complete opposite is true.

The pros were simply the benefits that you received, your title, and I guess salary. As a marketing coordinator I made $38k, but the position was really just an assistant position.

Cons

Management, atmosphere, logic, etc. The director I worked for was very poor at handling the execution between different teams and it caused a LOT of mis-communication. My manager in the department that I worked for was new as well and the more I learned the more people told me how un-lucky I was to be with the people I was with.

My manager didn't know what my job was, I was pulled in multiple directions and they never knew what I was working on.

Apparently it was up to me to know what to be trained on and they didnt even have a training format laid out.

The atmosphere is more stiff than that at other companies. You can't talk at your cube, don't socialize either. You are expected to work overtime without being told to do so and its a very stingy - who you know - atmosphere.

Advice to Senior Management

I wouldn't know what to tell management at the company. They are so lost there is almost no saving them. Honestly I feel that taking a look at their operations and how they delegate tasks between teams and individuals would help a lot. Also, having training materials would help integrate new hires.

It seems that this company doesn't want to train people, but their processes are so backwards and old fashioned its actually more difficult here than any other place I have ever worked. I was greatly let down.

Pros

friendly people, pretty office, well known establishment

Cons

no opportunity for growth, boring

Advice to Senior Management

get to know your employees

Pros

- Good work life balance
- Did a good job during Chapter 11 bankruptcy...of course pathetic job while avoiding Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Cons

- Management misleads employees
- Unscientific and unplanned approach on strategic initiatives
- Company believes that improving margins means cutting costs (read as strictly layoffs), but rarely focuses on re-engineering their business model and focusing on commercial excellence.

Advice to Senior Management

- Hire and retain "professionals" if you want to even survive in this market
- Reconsider and re-engineer your existing business model

Pros

You can get a great view of an international publisher.

Cons

This company is in survival mode. Once known as a great place to work, the company must do all it can just to keep going.

Pros

A place to be if you need a job for now, because the now is the only security you have. Tomorrow you are expendable.

Cons

Company always downsizing and outsourcing. Any job can be cut at any time.
Fear is always prevelant and every time you are spoken to for any reason you expect to be on the street.

Advice to Senior Management

Respect and pride comes from the security and the belief your company will be there for you as much as you are there for them.