They've gone mad. - Product Manager Pearson Employee Review

1.0
24 Sept 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Colleagues below executive level are good people; some of Pearson's earlier culture still exists so that you'll still run across fading traits of decency, respect, and purpose.

Cons

In last 16 months, a once amazingly supportive, cooperative, respectful, purposeful, decent, and visionary culture has been rapidly destroyed; replaced by a privileged "us" executive team of bullies vs "the laborers." Brilliance, caring, and creativity are out, and bureaucrats are in. A business that used to run wonderfully on the instincts of educators and publishers is increasingly run by distant consultants who couldn't run a profitable and impactful business if their lives depended upon it. And now Pearson is dumping its Family Education Network business unit which includes Poptropica, the world's largest (and profitable) learning-based virtual world, and Funbrain, the largest (and profitable) education gaming site in the U.S.. Madness! That unit also had on its staff Jeff Kinney, the very bestselling author in the U.S. and UK. Right, you happen to have on staff one of the world's best selling authors, the thing to do is dump him so that you can hire two weeks of consultants. Madness!

Explore other reviews about Pearson

5.0
22 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Smart people, supportive environment and good benefits

Cons

Tight deadlines and it gets busy at times

2.0
11 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

When a project goes according to plan you can work with some great people and make decent money.

Cons

Bad behavior is tolerated when you have a weak team member. They are allowed to remain on payroll, even if they do not effectively contribute. The burden is often placed on the team members willing to pick up the slack. Promotions are not given to the most qualified. They are randomly assigned. There are some horrible scoring directors as a result.

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