A difficult company to work for - Editorial Refinery29 Employee Review

1.0
Aug 26, 2016
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

My coworkers have become some of my closest friends. I created a lot of content that I'm proud of. Soft benefits like snacks, occasional lunches, and events.

Cons

For a company that speaks volumes about equal pay, women's rights, etc. on the front end, it's incredibly disheartening to see the treatment of women by women at this company. I can't tell you how many times employees are unprofessionally and publicly chastised in front of their coworkers thanks to the open layout. Promotions are doled out based on your perceived coolness, rather than the quality of your work. A lot of senior managers who've climbed their way up from entry level positions are inexperienced and incapable of leading and growing a team, but leadership doesn't do anything about it. Work/life balance is poor across the entire company, which leads to burn out and high turnover. Compensation is some of the lowest in the industry. This is not a company that values the women within their company.

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5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
Mar 23, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

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