HarperCollins Reviews

Pros

HarperCollins has an amazing breath of books to sell

Cons

I don’t have any downside

Pros

The team is full of the smartest, kindest people I've had the pleasure of working with. I learned so much working there, and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Cons

If you want to live off ramen and beans for the first 10 years of your career, apply for a job at HarperCollins. The pay is despicable: I was working 50 hour weeks (at least) and barely able to pay my bills. HarperCollins likes to think it is progressive and talk about how it raised the base pay to $45,000 for entry-level employees, but for all of us working at the entry level in New York and San Francisco, that's not far from the poverty line. I started at $39,000 my first year. Also, I'm a woman, and I learned my male coworker (who I trained and who hadn't been there as long as me) was earning more than me for a WHOLE year. The response? They barely cared. A coworker once told me I should marry a rich guy so that I could work in publishing. What's worse is HarperCollins has no incentive to change because no matter how many people quit, thousands of people rush to fill the jobs. Publishing is romanticized so that people think the low wages are worth it. It's not. Financial security is so important, but HarperCollins just wants you to be so hyped about your "passion job" that you forget that. Also, advancement is glacial. Don't hope for a raise or a promotion for at least two years. Do yourself a favor and work somewhere willing to pay and recognize you for your time.

Pros

37.5 hour weeks, summer hours, 3 weeks vacation and one week personal time,

Cons

Managers play favorites in this department, they treat the employees in this critical role like children.Many polices are not clear.

Pros

Free books. An abusive, hazing-type atmosphere leads to a lot of close friendships.

Cons

Where to start? The atmosphere is incredibly toxic; members of senior management frequently gossip about each other and their assistants. This is probably due to the fact that everyone is working constantly; I've never seen such a collection of dysfunctional people desperately trying to find meaning in life through work. This place is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Unpaid overtime is required for promotion, regardless of whether one is legally entitled to pay. I was told this explicitly during a performance review. After years of excellent reviews, it counted against me that I dared to admit I was struggling with my work load after it was drastically increased. HR is aware that this happens, by the way. They turn a blind eye because the company loves its cheap labor. The union is powerless. The worst part is that while I worked here I thought it was normal to be told I was not doing enough, even when working 50-60 hour weeks. Normal being told not to ask for a raise or promotion because that could hurt my relationship with my bosses. Normal to be accused of not being dedicated enough to my job. Please, save yourself the time and effort. You deserve better than this.

Pros

Unionized, lots of talented employees with a passion for the industry, the ability to maintain work/life balance.

Cons

This was by far the most toxic work environment I have ever worked in. While it varies by department and imprint, HR and leadership demonstrate a great deal of hostility towards their own employees and it was commonplace for basic requests for accommodation to be met with resistance. Adequate tech was not consistently provided across departments during the pandemic, and there were constant attempts at union-busting by HR. As an employee at HarperCollins I worked on several popular titles that made a great deal of profit for the company - absolutely none of that work was recognized in my salary or the way I was treated as an employee. Several employees are in management positions despite showing no interest in providing training, leadership, or basic kindness towards their junior staff. Little to no action taken to making HarperCollins a more diverse and inclusive company, and was the LAST major publisher in the US to raise salary minimums despite having the funds to put a 2 billion dollar bid on Simon and Schuster.

Pros

Great CEO, very focused on profit but in a way that is inspiring. Amazing sales force. Positivity high. Very nice offices in a part of NYC much more fun than previous Midtown location. Very laid back--almost never see anyone in a suit, and the hours are very flexible compared to some other companies like Hachette or parts of PRH.

Cons

Bad HR--nice but do nothing to actually cultivate talent. Great CEO but he does not seem to read books, except maybe a few business books every so often which is kind of weird. Very unwelcoming to outsiders/newcomers. Bad about diversity--will hire at the entry level to make the stats look good but not promote. Will not give raises—company attitude is that you are lucky to work there, take it or leave it. Getting more and more obsessed with immediate profit, fewer excellent, long lasting books.

Pros

Terrific cross-divisional team work for special projects and operational improvements. Everyone is nice and helpful! Great management (personally, had a great boss that was hands off and not a micro-manager). Great support from upper management.

Cons

Not many growth opportunities. I had to advocate for my own promotions and be proactive about creating learning/growth opportunities for myself without direction.