employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Principal Financial Group

Engaged Employer

It's okay but honestly you can and should find something better, - Software Engineer II Principal Financial Group Employee Review

2.0
Jan 14, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

401(k) is a valuable benefit and vision is reasonable. Bonuses are okay in some years.

Cons

Base pay is low and doesn't keep up with the times. New employees from the intern pool are hired with similar salaries to developers who have been there for more than 5 years. Health insurance provider that is miserable to use - they had to have gone with the lowest bidder on this one. Flexibility is eroding rapidly. Company has agreements with nearby head-hunter agencies so if you do get in they can't help you leave and it can be tough to get out without having to quit this job first. Feedback surveys given by the company are written poorly so it is obvious how the company will misinterpret or skew the responses. This often results in the company focusing way too heavily on DEI.

avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your perspective. At Principal, we foster an innovative, inclusive, and collaborative culture that drives innovation and generates game-changing solutions for the communities we serve. 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. Total rewards is so much more than your paycheck. It includes compensation and incentive pay, health and welfare, retirement, and additional offerings. By reviewing your internal personal total rewards dashboard, we hope you can more quickly and easily see the full investment we make in you and take advantage of all we offer.

Explore other reviews about Principal Financial Group

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Three years in and still LOVE it. Great leadership. Work-like balance. Principal invests in their employees with training and professional development. It's very telling when literally thousands of employees have been there for 20-25-30+ years.

Cons

First time in a large company. Sometimes it is tricky to find the right internal partner to get the answer you need.

avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
2d
We appreciate your feedback! Hearing that you felt supported reinforces what we're proud of—the strong community we've built together.
2.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance and benefits. Principal offers a pension which is unheard of in today’s age.

Cons

Pay is below average and Principal does not offer inflation raises. Once you hit the midpoint of your salary, you will get a 0% raise until you’re promoted, which will take multiple years regardless of performance. Performance reviews are vague and often used against employees to avoid promotions. At least in my department, I’ve yet to see any of the remote workers be promoted. This is starting to affect attrition and we’re already starting to see people leaving. It’s well known at this point that the best way to get promoted is to leave Principal and get rehired, which even leadership has stated publicly. This is a huge frustration and blow to morale, as it starts to feel like employees need to compete against their co-workers for raises.

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All